• The UK government is cutting all funding for Tell Mama, a leading Islamophobia reporting service, despite recording a surge in anti-Muslim hate incidents.
• Tell Mama founder Fiyaz Mughal criticised the decision, warning it comes amid growing far-right activity, no alternative support service has been announced.
The government is set to withdraw all funding for Tell Mama, a prominent Islamophobia reporting service, leaving the organisation facing possible closure just weeks after it revealed a record number of anti-Muslim hate incidents in Britain.
Since its establishment in 2012, Tell Mama has relied entirely on funding from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to run its reporting service and support victims of Islamophobia. In 2023-24, the organisation received nearly 11,000 reports, with 9,600 verified cases — marking a significant rise in street-based incidents and a sharp increase in online activity following the Southport attack and subsequent riots.
Despite this, the government informed Tell Mama that no further grant would be provided beyond the end of this month, offering no details on alternative services.
Police sources have expressed concern about the potential consequences of the funding cut. They described Tell Mama’s data, provided under a 2015 data-sharing agreement, as “invaluable” in identifying rising tensions and responding to potential threats.
Government funding is scheduled to cease at the end of the financial year, coinciding with record levels of religious hate crime in England and Wales, largely attributed to the genocide in Gaza. Police data shows that Muslims were the most targeted group, accounting for 38% of reported religious hate crimes.
In recent months, far-right terror plots targeting Muslims have raised further concerns. On Thursday, a court heard that an alleged neo-Nazi terror cell had been planning attacks on mosques in north-west England, with one member reportedly discussing torturing an imam.
Fiyaz Mughal, founder of Tell Mama, criticised the government’s decision, warning that the cuts come at a time of growing far-right and populist movements across Europe.
“There are going to be more individuals targeted,” Mughal said. “Where are they going to go? This is an injustice at a time when I have never seen anti-Muslim rhetoric become so mainstream.”
He emphasised that Tell Mama serves as a vital point of contact for vulnerable victims reluctant to approach the police.
Mughal asserted that it also plays a key role in researching emerging security threats.
Mughal highlighted that while Labour has committed to tackling Islamophobia, the party’s decision to cut funding for Tell Mama contradicts this pledge. “I’m not aware of any other organisation that can do this work, and even if one tried, it would take 10 to 15 years to reach Tell Mama’s level of expertise,” he said.
He also noted that Tell Mama was designed to mirror the work of the Community Security Trust (CST), an organisation that provides support, security advice, and research for its community.
Unlike Tell Mama, CST (a Jewish community organisation) receives funding from the Home Office, and its financial support remains intact.
Mughal accused the government of hypocrisy, noting that ministers had recently announced a new working group on anti-Muslim hatred, chaired by former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve. Last month, the MHCLG said the group would define Islamophobia and develop strategies to tackle rising anti-Muslim incidents.
Angela Rayner, Deputy Prime Minister, previously condemned the surge in anti-Muslim hate crime as “unacceptable,” pledging to create a society where “everyone feels safe and welcome.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) stressed the importance of third-party reporting services like Tell Mama.
They have stated that the organisation provides crucial insights into hate crime trends and community tensions.
“In the wake of critical incidents in the UK and globally, including the events of 7 October 2023, we have witnessed marked increases in hate crime and tensions,” an NPCC spokesperson said. “Tell Mama and similar organisations have provided invaluable data that has informed actions to reduce such tensions.”
When contacted, the MHCLG did not provide a clear explanation for the funding cut or confirm what alternative support services might be introduced. A spokesperson stated:
“Religious and racial hatred has absolutely no place in our society, and we will not tolerate Islamophobia in any form. This year we have made up to £1 million available to Tell Mama to support victims of Islamophobia, and we will set out our approach to future funding in due course.”
