Vandalism of Muslim graves at a UK cemetery denounced as an 'Islamophobic assault'

According to Middle east Eye, Abbas Merali, councillor for Moor Park and Eastbury, reported in a statement on Instagram that graves in the Muslim burial section at Carpenders Park Lawn Cemetery in Watford were "subjected to shameful acts of vandalism", with grave plaques belonging to children also destroyed.

"These abhorrent actions have caused immense anguish to grieving families and profound hurt across our community," Merali said.

He said that he had spoken to the Hertfordshire Police who confirmed that the incident is being treated as a "serious and targeted act of vandalism" and that a full investigation is under way.

The councillor added that he would be following up with the police and local MP Gagan Mohindra to ensure "no stones are left unturned".

Wadi Funeral Care, a local Muslim funeral care service, issued a statement calling on Brent Council, which manages the cemetery, to conduct a "thorough investigation" into the attack and to "implement measures to prevent such occurrences in future".

"The sanctity of our loved ones' resting places must be preserved," it added.

But a Muslim charity has denounced the authorities' response, saying that the Islamophobic nature of the attack is being downplayed.

"This is clearly not just an act of vandalism, it is an Islamophobic attack and must be recorded as such," the An-Nisa Society said in a post on X.

"We keep speaking out about #Islamophobia in Brent/Harrow & yet it’s not taken seriously by authorities - abuse, attacks & discrimination," it added.

An-Nisa reported that in 2023, Brent's mayor, councillor Orleen Hylton, had allegedly "ignored" a Muslim woman being verbally abused by a man on a Harlesden bus, and had failed to intervene or report the incident.

Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) Zara Mohammed denounced the attack as "disturbing", "vile" and "Islamophobic".

"I can’t imagine the pain this will cause to families. I hope the perpetrators are swiftly identified and brought to justice," she said in a post on X.

In February, Tell Mama, a UK watchdog that monitors anti-Muslim hate crime, reported that in 2024 it had received almost 6,000 reports of anti-Muslim incidents - over double the figure two years ago.

The organisation said the numbers mark the highest in its 12-year history, citing "inflammatory public discourse" and "sensationalist media narratives" as some of the factors driving the spike.