Starmer voices concern after armed suspect arrested at Mosque
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday expressed concern after police arrested a man suspected of carrying weapons into Manchester Central Mosque during Ramadan, amid rising reports of anti-Muslim hate crimes.
“I am concerned to hear of the incident at Manchester Central Mosque last night,” Starmer said on social media, adding that the episode would be particularly worrying for Muslim communities during the holy month. He later told lawmakers that the government “will not and must not relent in the fight against anti-Muslim hatred.”
Greater Manchester Police said officers responded late Tuesday to reports of two men entering Manchester Central Mosque with offensive weapons while worshippers were inside.
One man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon and drugs. Police said officers seized an axe, a knife and Class B drugs. Authorities are working to identify a second man.
No threats were made and no injuries were reported. Assistant Chief Constable John Webster said it was not yet clear what the intent behind the incident was. Patrols around mosques have been increased as a precaution.
In a statement, the mosque said Britain’s Muslim community has faced a notable rise in threats and hostility in recent years.
The incident follows other religion-related attacks in the UK. Two Jewish people were killed last year in an extremist assault at a Manchester synagogue during Yom Kippur. In October, police investigated a suspected arson attack at a mosque in Peacehaven, southern England, as a hate crime.
Starmer told parliament the government has allocated £40 million ($54 million) to help protect mosques and community centres and is establishing a new fund to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and support victims.
Official figures show religious hate crimes in England and Wales outside London rose 3% between 2024 and 2025, with more than 7,000 incidents recorded in the year ending March 2025.
