Anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh spark outrage, Muslim groups cite 'poisonous far-right narrative' as suspect charged

What happened

On Friday night, a series of violent attacks unfolded across Edinburgh, leaving five men wounded. Police said the attacks began near Broomhouse Mosque in the Sighthill area where two 22-year-old men were sitting in a park after Asr prayers around 8 p.m. They were approached by a man and stabbed multiple times, later receiving hospital treatment before being discharged. CCTV footage obtained by the BBC later showed the bare-chested suspect driving erratically on Leith Walk, then attacking a black man and a delivery rider with two large knives, while smoking. Police Scotland said three other men, aged 24, 27 and 39, were attacked in the Telford Road and Leith Walk areas. In total, four of the five victims required hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton condemned the violence, saying,

“I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in Scotland, which is at its best when we stand together.”

The 36-year-old suspect was arrested on Leith Walk about five minutes after he first pulled up and has since been charged. Police have confirmed that counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation.

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241

271

391

22

2 number of victims

24

1 number of victims

27

1 number of victims

39

1 number of victims

Data from the article text

Political condemnation

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was quick to respond.

“Absolutely appalling. No one should face violence on our streets,”

he said on X, adding that

“the suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will not tolerate this -- he will face the full force of the law.”

Scotland's First Minister John Swinney called the events "deeply concerning" and said there is "no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country." Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was

“horrified by news of the attack”

and that

“there is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims.”

Labour MP Zubir Ahmed described the attacks as "disgusting and disturbing" and warned Scotland was "not immune to these dark forces of hatred."

Muslim groups and community reaction

Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) urged police to treat the incident as "Islamophobic, far-right terror", blaming a "poisonous narrative" for whipping up vigilantism. The government-funded British Muslim Trust said

“anti-Muslim hostility does not exist in a vacuum”

and called for action to prevent such violence from becoming normalised. Former first minister Humza Yousaf said the "sickening" attacks were not isolated, that "Islamophobia has been mainstreamed for years." The Muslim Council of Britain said the community was "rightly anxious". Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski went further, linking the violence to rhetoric from right-wing politicians and billionaire Elon Musk, saying such hate "creates the breeding ground for these abhorrent attacks."

Broader context of far-right activity

The attacks come at a time of heightened tension across the UK. Recent weeks have seen disorder in Belfast following charges against a Sudanese man over a murder, a racist attack in Glasgow that injured five people and forced worshippers at the Central Mosque to be locked inside, and a Britain First march in Birmingham that prompted a counter-protest. Saturday's developments in Edinburgh, now under counter-terrorism investigation, have reignited debate over the mainstreaming of anti-Muslim sentiment and the adequacy of government responses.