Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said religious hate crimes targeting Muslims rose by 15% in England and Wales last year.
Khan took to social media to commemorate Islamophobia Awareness Month, an annual campaign held in the UK. "This Islamophobia Awareness Month, we must shine a light on the abhorrent hatred and discrimination Muslims continue to face," Khan posted on X.
According to a UK Home Office report published on October 8, while there were 4,479 offences related to hate crimes against Muslims till March 2025, it increased to 5,132 in March this year.
Khan said hate crimes against Muslims were "utterly unacceptable". "London will always stand against hatred, prejudice and discrimination."
"I'll continue working with the Met Police and partners to tackle faith-based hate crime, such as Islamophobia, protect our communities and ensure there is zero tolerance for this kind of prejudice in our city."
The British Muslim Trust published a report last month, claiming there was an average of one attack every five days in the UK on "mosques, their building and grounds and people and communities associated with mosques".
Khan, a Muslim, has been Mayor of London since 2016. He was criticised by the Israeli Embassy last month for calling out the Benjamin Netanyahu government's actions in Gaza as reprehensible even as he condemned the Hamas-led attack on October 7.
