Statement from Luton Council of Mosques on the Attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego

Luton Council of Mosques is deeply shocked and heartbroken by the horrific attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where three innocent worshippers were killed in what authorities are investigating as a suspected hate crime. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones, those injured and traumatised, and the wider Muslim community in San Diego during this time of immense grief.

A place of worship should be a sanctuary of peace, reflection, and safety, never a place of fear or violence. The fact that this attack took place at a Mosque, with worshippers gathered in prayer and children present on site, makes this tragedy especially horrifying.

This attack has sent shockwaves through Muslim communities across the world, including here in the United Kingdom.

Many British Muslims will understandably feel distress, fear, and renewed anxiety about the safety of Mosques and public worship. Acts of violence targeting people because of their faith are an attack not only on one community, but on the fundamental values of dignity, freedom of worship, and peaceful coexistence that all civilised societies must uphold.

We pay tribute to those who acted with courage in the face of unimaginable danger, including the security guard whose heroic actions saved lives.

At a time when anti-Muslim hatred and dehumanising rhetoric are increasingly amplified by politicians, media figures, and online platforms, this tragedy is a painful reminder that words have consequences.

When hatred is normalised, excused or left unchallenged, it can create the conditions in which violence becomes more likely.

Here in the UK, we call on our Government to implement:

• Cross-government strategy on Islamophobia with measurable targets.
• Consistent enforcement of existing codes of conduct (including the Ministerial Code and party disciplinary processes) with meaningful consequences for public figures whose rhetoric dehumanises Muslim communities.
• Media accountability - including the long-overdue implementation of Leveson recommendations for genuinely independent press regulation, ensuring anti-Muslim coverage is treated with the same seriousness as other forms of hate

We call on political leaders, public institutions, faith communities, and the media to stand united in unequivocally condemning Islamophobia, hate-fuelled violence, and all forms of religious hatred.

Luton has always been a place of strong community solidarity and resilience. We will continue to work with our partners, Mosques, faith leaders, and local authorities to ensure our communities feel supported, protected, and united in the face of hatred.

We ask all communities to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers.