Police in Scotland arrested a 36-year-old man over the weekend on suspicion of carrying out a series of attacks against Muslims across Edinburgh, injuring at least five people. The Scottish Association of Mosques described the incident as an “Islamophobic crime,” while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the suspect appeared to have been motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.
The incident took place on Friday evening, when the man, a white Scottish citizen whose name has not yet been released, was filmed walking shirtless through the streets of Edinburgh while armed with what was described as a long weapon.
According to reports, he struck the doors of businesses, smashed car windows, damaged a gas station and attacked people, including two Muslims who had just finished prayers at a mosque.
The first reports of the incident came in at around 8:50 p.m., but officers managed to subdue the suspect only about 40 minutes later, at 9:30 p.m.
Footage published by British media showed the man pinned to the ground by a police officer. In video from the scene, he could be heard cursing and shouting, “I am defending the country.”
Before he was arrested, the suspect allegedly injured two 22-year-olds and three other people aged 24, 27 and 39. They suffered injuries of varying severity, but none was believed to be in life-threatening condition. Initial charges were filed against him Saturday night.
Starmer said the suspect appeared to have acted out of anti-Muslim hatred.
“We will not tolerate it, and he will face the full force of the law,” the prime minister said.
British Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she was horrified by reports of the attack in Edinburgh.
“There is no place for hatred and violence against Muslims,” she said. “I know this is not who we are as a country.”
The Muslim Council of Britain said in a statement that the Muslim community was “rightly anxious and concerned,” adding that the violence was “a direct result of political rhetoric that demonizes entire communities.”
The Edinburgh attack comes amid rising tensions in Britain over immigration. Thousands of migrants continue to arrive in the UK each year on boats crossing the English Channel from France, fueling the rise of Nigel Farage’s hard-right Reform UK party, which has made the fight against illegal immigration and what it calls the changing face of Britain central to its platform.
Farage’s party is currently the most popular in Britain, although the next general election is not expected before 2029.
Public anger toward migrants, including Muslims, has also been inflamed by several recent violent incidents involving foreign nationals in Britain. Among them was footage from Northern Ireland showing Sudanese migrant Hadi al-Odeid, who entered the UK through the Republic of Ireland while exploiting the lack of border checks between the two, slashing the throat of British citizen Stephen Ogilvie in the street.