British Muslim leaders urge restraint as far-right riots spread across UK

British Muslim leaders and social media users have urged people to abide by the law and avoid rioting while coming out to defend their communities from far-right riots which have gripped the country over the past week.

In scenes posted to social media, far-right mobs have attacked mosques, launched attacks on black and Asian people, clashed with police and looted shops. 

The racist and Islamophobic attacks have triggered local groups to mobilise to protect their communities.

Unverified reports have also emerged on social media of screenshots purportedly from far-right group chats with lists of areas that will allegedly be targeted.

"When the Bradford riots happened, there was a rumour that the far-right will enter Bradford city centre. Based on that, young Asian Pakistani lads rioted against the police and some of them were sentenced up to 25 years. Don't make that mistake," says Birmingham-based Imam Asrar Rashid in a video posted to social media.

Rashid made the comments from a street gathering in the Midlands city, where residents had converged in anticipation of far-right riots.

"Don't allow the far-right to provoke you into violence, for which you will be sentenced to tens of years in jail, it's not worth it," he said while cautioning people against wearing face masks or clashing with police.

Local police said on Monday that "a large number of people" had gathered in Birmingham's Bordesley Green in response to reports of a far-right rally. The police added that no clashes took place.

However, reports also emerged on Monday of an attack on a pub in Birmingham's Yardley area, where rumours had spread of a far-right gather inside the premises.

The pub's windows were smashed, with videos posted to social media showing a man being attacked by a group of men.

Amid reports that the perpetrators were Muslim, members of the Sheldon Mosque visited the pub in a bid to ease tensions.

"I can only just rightly say to the management here that I'm very, very sorry about what has happened here today... and that is not a true reflection of who we are as a community," said one of the mosque members in a video taken in the pub, where his group were seen standing alongside the pub's management and a customer who reportedly witnessed the attack.

"You don't have to apologise for everybody, its just a small minority on everybody's side. You don't have to apologise for the people who are bad, just as I don't have to apologise for the idiots," said a customer, who had later shared a hug with the group from the mosque.

"I love you all, every one of ya," the customer added.

The local mosque has offered to cover the damages to the pub, according to the BBC.

In Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, local residents came together on Monday for a community clean up effort after riots on Sunday.

The effort was organised by the Amal Project Teesside, alongside Middlesbrough Methodist Church and Jamia Masjid Al-Madina mosque, according to North East Bylines.

The violence began in Southport, North West England last week after the murder of three girls with the UK-born suspect arrested in the case falsely identified as being Muslim and an asylum seeker.

Police have warned against the spread of false information, such as the religion of the suspect, and said prosecutions against those stirring up the hatred will follow.

Activists have accused politicians and media outlets of stirring up anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment.