Fuelled by Zionists: Why Has the Far-Right Launched a War Against Muslims in Britain?

In an incident that sparked local and international outrage, a false rumor led to widespread riots and numerous racist incidents targeting the Muslim community across Britain.

The story began on August 6, 2024, when a little-known British news site reported that a “radical” Muslim immigrant had carried out a knife attack, killing three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the British city of Southport.

It was later revealed that the perpetrator was actually a Christian named Axel Rudakubana, born in Cardiff, Wales.

However, riots against Muslims and immigrants swept through Southport and rapidly spread to many other cities, including London, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Portsmouth, and Belfast in Northern Ireland.

In one of his statements on the matter, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that the issue goes far beyond right-wing thuggery, with deep-seated roots fueling this wave of hatred.

Activists linked the unrest to the growing prominence of Muslims in British life, noting that they won around 25 parliamentary seats in the most recent elections.

According to British government statistics, the Muslim population across the UK is approximately 2.8 million, making up 4.4 percent of the country’s population.

Muslims Under Threat 

During the violence, far-right demonstrators shouted anti-Islamic slogans, attacked mosques, and set fire to some bookstores and shops.

In Rotherham, central England, right-wing extremists targeted the Holiday Inn Express, a hotel used by the British government to house asylum seekers, mainly Muslims, while their cases were being processed. They shattered windows and set fire to the floor, nearly causing a horrific tragedy if the flames had reached the residential floors.

Commenting on the situation, the local media platform 5Pillars stated that Muslims in Britain do not feel safe.

On August 9, the organization Tell MAMA, which combats anti-Muslim incidents in Britain, announced that the rise of far-right activity has increased threats against Muslims, such as rape and death, by fivefold.

The organization added that hate crimes targeting Muslims in the country have tripled compared to the same period last year.

Tell MAMA reported that 10 mosques across several cities, including Southport, Liverpool, and Hartlepool, have faced attacks or threats from far-right groups.

The organization noted that Muslims in these areas have experienced intense fear of leaving their homes, particularly women who wear the hijab.

The situation prompted Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, to say he no longer feels safe as an openly Muslim politician after a week of riots that have shaken the UK, leaving him heartbroken for his children.

“Like a lot of people of my generation, I felt triggered by the events of the last couple of weeks in particular,” the London mayor told The Guardian.

“It’s difficult to explain the ripples when you’ve been targeted because of your religion or the color of your skin, and you can’t change either of those things. And whether you’re seeing physical acts of violence taking place in the North West or the North East, you feel it in London."

“What’s heartbreaking to me is my children’s generation had never experienced what I had. And they, for the first time, were scared. I thought I’d be the last generation to be scared, simply for who I am. And it breaks my heart,” Khan added.

The Role of Zionists

Amid riots against Muslims in the UK, questions have arisen about the existence of a conspiracy against Muslims, driven by specific parties, particularly the Zionist lobby.

On August 9, Middle East Eye published an article by journalist David Hearst, discussing the role of a far-right Zionist alliance in inciting riots and violence against Muslims.

Hearst emphasized the involvement of the Zionist lobby and supporters of the Israeli Occupation in fueling the recent wave of hatred.

He described it as a terrible week, during which battalions of politicians and journalists, backed by the Zionist lobby, united with fascists around a common cause—the supposed “threat” Muslims pose to Britain.

“It’s been a bad week for the massed battalions of politicians and journalists who have made common cause with fascists about the threat that Muslims pose to Britain,” Hearst added.

Hearst specifically named figures who ignited the violence, putting British right-winger Nigel Farage at the forefront.

He also mentioned Suella Braverman, noting that, during her tenure as Home Secretary, she did more than anyone else to legitimize Islamophobia.

“They should be named: Nigel Farage, who said with no evidence that three-quarters of Muslims pose no threat to Britain - meaning that one-quarter do.”

“Suella Braverman did more as home secretary to legitimize Islamophobia than anyone else, and was sacked for questioning the impartiality of the police force over which she as minister had responsibility,” he added.

“Douglas Murray, the weirdly acceptable face of the hard right, said that Britain needed a ‘toolbox approach to dealing with the enemy of Islamist extremism,’ and that this would involve ‘people who you and I don’t like’ but needed to deal with.”

Hearst also noted that “the fascists and the stalwarts of pro-Israel lobbying groups have collectively cast pro-Palestinian supporters in Britain as rapists after the Hamas attack.”

Palestine Chronicle also reported that the far-right in Britain, with support from the Israeli lobby, has been fueling anti-Muslim sentiments and was behind the recent unrest.

The Middle East Eye, also, noted that disturbing video footage showed crowds of white Britons rioting, committing arson, attacking police officers, burning businesses, breaking into homes suspected of belonging to Muslims, and randomly assaulting people.

The same source pointed out that the far-right influencers who incited these racial riots tried to link the anti-immigrant cause to “Israel.”

However, it exposed an even more alarming point: most of those who instigated the events are being paid by supporters of the Israeli war on Gaza.

The report highlighted that although anti-Muslim sentiment has been high since the so-called "War on Terror," the escalation of anti-Islam rhetoric has surpassed all expectations since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Citing statistics for 2024, the newspaper noted that hate crimes against Muslims in Britain increased by 365% in the first half of 2024, following the Israeli assault on Gaza.

An Extremist Ideology

Commenting on the situation, British-based Muslim activist Sohayb Farag stated that the British far-right, led by figures like Tommy Robinson and Robert Jenrick, has strong ties with “Israel” and the Zionist lobby in the country.

Speaking to Al-Estiklal, Farag noted that Robinson, for example, has been at the forefront of right-wing media, defending “Israel” since October 7 and consistently attacking Muslims, claiming that “Hamas supporters are filling British streets”—a clear reference to Muslims as a whole.

He added that the connection between the far-right and Zionists goes beyond shared interests or a common enemy; it is an ideological bond. Most of the far-right members are white Anglo-Saxons who are ideologically aligned with the idea of the Israeli Occupation’s establishment and support for Judaism and Zionism.

Farag cited that the far-right in both the United States and Britain are united in inciting anger against Muslims, to the extent that Elon Musk, the owner of X, commented on the situation in Britain, saying that a civil war there is now inevitable.

He also mentioned other factors that have fueled the situation, such as the election of about 25 Muslim members of parliament in the recent elections and the crushing defeat of the Conservative Party to Labour, which had previously represented parts of the far-right factions.

Farag concluded that the widespread protests and movements at all levels in support of Palestine and against Israeli aggression on Gaza led the Zionist lobby and the far-right to plot a conspiracy, resulting in a major crisis like the one that unfolded.