Home secretary Sajid Javid said that security training and advice to help keep mosques safe during the holy month of Ramadan is being offered as part of government measures to protect places of worship and to keep worshippers safe, especially in the wake of terror attacks in New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
According to a report published by the Arabic Media Hub, these measures include increased spending on places of worship and providing security training and pieces of advice to maintain the security of mosques through supporting 12 workshops around England and Wales.
They also included distributing guidelines over more than 2,000 mosques and community centers in addition to increasing police patrols beside the Mosques.
Commenting on these measures, Javid affirmed that the government supports organizations that provide security tips to Muslims during Ramadan – he added that he is aware of Muslims’ concerns following the attacks in Christchurch.
Alyson King, UK Government Arabic Spokesperson and Senior Regional Communicator for MENA, stated that like many others she felt shocked after the terrorist offensives inside a mosque in New Zealand. Yet, she expressed how encouraging it was to see this positive interaction by many who chose the spirit of solidarity instead of hatred.
In April, the British Home Office announced that religious institutions can benefit from the program of the preliminary protection whose budget is GBP1.6 million for the fiscal year 2019-2020 starting July 2019.
