A 36-year-old man was charged on Saturday in connection with suspected anti-Muslim attacks in Edinburgh that left five men injured the previous evening, Police Scotland said. The attacks began near a mosque and involved multiple sites across the city, prompting swift police intervention with officers deploying Tasers. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incidents as motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.
The sequence of events started around 20:50 near Broomhouse mosque where two men were injured and later treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, according to the BBC. Further disturbances occurred at a Shell petrol station on Telford Road, a pizzeria on Leith Walk, a BP petrol station on Ferry Road and other locations where windows were smashed and items scattered. Victims were aged 22, 22, 24, 27 and 39 with none sustaining life-threatening injuries, Police Scotland reported.
Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton called the attack shocking and stated that there is no place for racism or faith-based hate in a Scotland which is at its best when we stand together. The force thanked officers who responded with bravery and professionalism while confirming that the charged man remained in custody. A report has been submitted to Scotland’s public prosecutor and the suspect is due to appear in court in due course.
The Muslim Council of Britain said the incident comes not long after racist pogroms on the streets of Belfast that targeted minority families and is a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities. A spokesperson for the group urged the community to stay vigilant, look out for one another and report any Islamophobic hate crimes to the police. SNP MSP Ben Macpherson noted that the affected area has been diverse for many decades and said people there will be appalled by the violent attack.
Home Office figures show that religious hate crimes targeting Muslims rose 19 percent in the year ending March 2025 to 3,199 offences excluding Metropolitan Police data, with Muslims representing 45 percent of all religious hate crime victims. The increase included a spike following the Southport murders and subsequent disorder in 2024, according to government statistics published in October 2025. Overall religious hate crime reached 7,164 offences, the highest annual total recorded.
A briefing by the Muslim Council of Britain based on 2016 House of Commons data indicated that Muslims accounted for about 15 percent of the prison population in England and Wales while comprising roughly 4 percent of the general population aged 15 and over. The figures showed an over-representation by a factor of 3.7 at that time. Official arrest rate statistics from the Ministry of Justice place overall rates for Asian ethnic groups, which include many Muslims, at 8.4 per 1,000 people compared with 11.2 for all groups.
First Minister John Swinney said he was deeply concerned by these incidents and that there is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in the country. Police Scotland added that extensive work is ongoing to establish all the circumstances. The force continues to support affected communities in the wake of the attacks.
