The UK Parliament has launched an inquiry into shortcomings in the government’s program to protect mosques, Islamic centers, and religious schools from hate crimes. The investigation follows reports of delays in providing security assistance and concerns over a lack of transparency in the allocation of funding to Muslim institutions.

A cross-party parliamentary group has begun collecting evidence and testimonies from local Islamic institutions to assess the effectiveness of existing security measures and identify barriers preventing mosques from accessing government support. The group has invited mosques and Islamic centers to submit information about their security concerns and experiences with the funding program, setting November 22 as the deadline for submissions.

The UK Home Office allocates up to £40 million annually to programs designed to protect religious institutions from hate crimes. However, reports suggest that some Muslim institutions have waited as long as two years for decisions on their applications, while others have reportedly been rejected without adequate explanations.

British MP Andrew Pakes highlighted the difficulties mosques face in accessing security funding, pointing to unclear application procedures and eligibility criteria as additional obstacles.

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi stated that the inquiry aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the government’s protection program, identify its shortcomings, and explore more effective approaches to safeguarding Muslim communities and worshippers at religious institutions.