Egypt's Azhar condemns far-right attacks on Muslims in UK riots, praises British gov't stance

Egypt's Al-Azhar condemned the recent anti-Islam rhetoric and attacks against Muslims and mosques during the ongoing right-wing riots in the UK.

In a statement released on Wednesday evening, the world's top Sunni Muslim authority called on the British community to confront these "attacks that aim to fuel hatred towards Muslims and spark fear among a large segment of the UK society."

Al-Azhar also praised the UK government for tackling the ongoing hostilities against Muslims and the role of the British police in protecting the Muslim community and confronting what the Cairo-based institution described as "a systematic anti-Muslim campaign."

Muslims across the UK are alarmed over their safety amidst ongoing Islamophobic attacks and far-right riots after three girls aged 6, 7 and 9 were stabbed to death at a holiday club in Southport on 31 July.

Misinformation about the suspect being allegedly a Muslim led to far-right rallies outside mosques and other places frequented by the community in several British cities. The name of the suspect at the time was confidential for being under the age of 17.

However, the British judiciary eventually revealed his name following security concerns, identifying him as Axel Rudakubana.

Merseyside Police said they believe the English Defence League, led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, could be behind the unrest, a group which regularly holds anti-Islam rallies and is extremely xenophobic.