Scottish counter-terrorism police investigating 'anti-Muslim' Edinburgh attacks
Scottish counter-terrorism officers are investigating a series of violent attacks in Edinburgh after five men were injured on Friday in incidents that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said appeared to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.
Politicians and rights groups condemned the attacks, which appeared to target Muslim men aged between 22 and 36.
Police said a 36-year-old white Scottish man was arrested following a series of offences, including threats, robbery and vandalism. Three of the five victims required hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
"I'm protecting the country from these fucking Muslim bastards raping our young daughters, raping our kids. Enough is enough,” the man was allegedly heard shouting at the police during his arrest.
“Absolutely appalling. No one should face violence on our streets,” Starmer said on X.
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“The suspect appears to be motivated by anti-Muslim hatred. I will not tolerate this - he will face the full force of the law.”
Scotland's first minister, John Swinney, said he is “deeply concerned” by the incidents. “There is no place for violence, racism or intolerance in our country,” he wrote in a post on X.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) condemned the attacks, saying they were “a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities”.
“This incident comes not long after racist pogroms on the streets of Belfast that targeted minority families, and is a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities,” the MCB said.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating a series of Islamophobic attacks in Edinburgh that left five people injured on Friday evening.
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A white Scottish man was arrested in connection with the attacks, with footage appearing to show him carrying a weapon. pic.twitter.com/orPxo9lmQf
UK-based non-profit Muslim Engagement and Development said Scottish police should treat the incidents as “what the evidence indicates: Islamophobic, far right terror”.
“To investigate these attacks while ignoring a motive shouted aloud at the point of arrest would tell every Muslim in Scotland that the law does not see the hatred aimed at them,” the group said.
Metropolitan Police data published in early June showed Islamophobic hate crime offences rose 33 percent between April and May, from 135 to 179 cases - the highest monthly figure since August 2024.
The increase followed a decline in late 2025 and early 2026, before offences rose sharply in March after the UK government introduced a new definition of anti-Muslim hostility.
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