Islamic Relief UK has “witnessed the worst of Britain” as the organisation and its partners have been forced to cancel charitable events or change the way they operate to protect staff, volunteers and participants in the face of violent unrest.
Riots associated with far-right groups have taken place across the UK following the fatal stabbings of three young girls in Southport on 29 July.
False reports and social media speculation identifying the suspect as a Muslim asylum seeker led to mosques being targeted by rioters.
Islamic Relief UK said a local partner charity in Bradford that runs community support centres had gone from serving between 300 and 400 people a week to half that figure due to security concerns.
And one Leeds-based charity, which runs two food banks in areas of the city where far right violence has taken place, “is determined not to stop distributing food but without security support they will not have a choice”, Islamic Relief UK said.
Islamic Relief UK itself has had to cancel events due to violence.
A vigil for a young Palestinian man with Down’s syndrome, Mohammad Bhar, who was part of the charity’s Orphan Sponsorship Scheme and was recently killed in Gaza, had to be cancelled.
Fundraising challenge events that had been long planned were cancelled as the participants were women, with the charity saying Muslim women were a “more visible and vulnerable target for racist attacks”.
Islamic Relief UK’s 13 shops have been temporarily closed to protect staff and volunteers.
The charity was unable to put a figure on how much the closures and cancellations had cost the organisation but it is understood to be very concerned about the situation and the knock-on effect on the morale of its volunteers and staff.
Tufail Hussain, a director of Islamic Relief UK, said: “This week, we have witnessed the worst of Britain, as far-right thugs, unrepresentative of most people in this country, have taken to the streets to sow chaos and enact violence against people of colour and Muslim communities.
“It is a disgrace that in 2024, charities run by people of colour, who are just trying to help the most vulnerable in their community, should have to shut up shop because of this violent thuggery.
“We commend our local partners who are still trying to soldier on in the face of such extreme challenges, but mostly we urge everyone to prioritise their safety first and foremost.”