Mass shooting of Muslims could happen in UK, says minister

A far-right mass shooting of Muslims of the kind seen in New Zealand “absolutely could happen here,” said the security minister, Ben Wallace.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Wallace said the government was concerned about a growing number of people in the UK driven by far-right ideas.

He confirmed that the stabbing of a teenager in Stanwell, near Heathrow, on Sunday was being treated as a potential terrorist attack after the mass shooting in Christchurch, which killed 50 people.

Wallace said arrests were made last week in Cardiff in an operation against far-right extremists. South Wales police and the Home Office have yet to provide any details.

Wallace said: “The government has been concerned about the growing group of people crossing into the extremist mindset on the far right, and the neo-Nazis. It is why 18 months ago we proscribed a neo-Nazi group National Action, in the same way we proscribe other terror groups.

“Only last week we made arrests in Cardiff of some individuals and are putting lots of resources into catching people currently active, but also the Prevent scheme and indeed the Building Stronger Communities scheme to make sure that people try to deal with this intolerance and extremism that is growing on all sides both Islamist and far right.”

Almost half of those identified by the Prevent programme, aimed at tackling extremism, were involved with the far right, he said.

Related: UK Muslim leaders seek funding for mosque security

Following last week’s attack, the Muslim Council of Britain wrote to the government asking for more resources for security measures, of the kind seen at many Jewish synagogues in Britain.

Miqdaad Versi, the council’s assistant secretary general, told Today: “The level of security at mosques is basically non-existent because it’s an open place. There is a real concern that things might need to change.”

Versi said the Community Security Trust, which provides protection for Jewish places of worship, could provide a model for mosques.

But he said that some Muslim institutions had been turned down for funding for security adding: “At the moment I think £14m goes to the community civic security trust for Jewish synagogues and schools, and £2.4m goes to all other faiths. There needs to be some work on that.”

Versi said: “Unfortunately, until today, the government doesn’t seem to be engaging with many Muslim institutions, including the Muslim Council of Britain.”

Wallace said public money for security was adjusted according to risk.

He said: “The funding for protective security tacks with the threat. As the threat changes that funding will change with it.

“In response to increased threat, we will increase and seek to change the funding around that and that is why we do have the places of worship scheme. We will absolutely be looking at seeing whether that needs to be increased over the short and longer term.”

He added: “In the 21st century people can join up in a virtual community on the internet. They can reinforce their own ignorance and extremism. They can learn how to hurt and to kill people.

“That’s why it is so important that we invest in the Prevent programme and get people upstream and divert them before they reach into that horrible group of people who think it is perfectly acceptable to do what people have done in New Zealand.”