Stockport Muslim Families Fear Mosque Visits After Six Attacks 2026

Key Points

• Six Islamophobic assaults were reported at the Elaf Masjid (Al-Elaaf Mosque) at Edgeley, Stockport over 18 months.
• Incidents included broken windows, torn and damaged copies of the Quran, and pork left on the mosque roof.
• Some parents are now keeping their children away from the mosque because of safety reasons.
• One father decided to not return to the mosque after determining that it is not safe for his children, said Ahmed Helal, who runs Elaf Masjid.
• According to Dr. Jawad Amin from the Stockport Council of Mosques, Stockport is the Greater Manchester borough with the highest number of incidents related to mosques within the past 18 months; the majority of which are directed at Elaf Masjid.
• A pig’s head was found on the driveway of Camran Butt in Cheadle in January 2026. The Greater Manchester Police investigated the case but were unable to identify any suspects.
• “Sir Stephen Watson, the GM Police Chief Constable, strongly condemned Islamophobia and all hate crime, stating that ‘there’s no place for hate crime anywhere in Greater Manchester.'”
• Huma Khan, the only Muslim Councillor in Stockport, stated that children as young as seven are victims of racial abuse and the anti-Muslim rhetoric impacts day-to-day life.
• There were 343 anti-Muslim hate crimes recorded in Greater Manchester from October 2025 to September 2026, making it the highest in the country for that particular period.
• There was an overall increase of 15% in religious hate crimes against Muslims throughout the UK in the year ending March 2026.
• Stockport Council, Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig, Stockport MP Navendu Mishra, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer have expressed concern over the attacks and overall anti-Muslim sentiment.

Stockport (Manchester Mirror) November 13, 2026 — Muslim families in Stockport say they have become afraid to take their children to the Elaf Masjid after the mosque was targeted in six Islamophobic attacks during the past 18 months.

As reported by ITV News Granada on November 9, 2026, the attacks at the mosque in Edgeley included smashed windows, damage to copies of the Holy Quran and pork products being thrown onto its roof. The reports have prompted renewed concern among Muslim residents about safety, religious freedom and the wider climate of hostility in the Greater Manchester borough.

The Elaf Masjid, also described in some reports as the Al-Elaaf Mosque, is located in Edgeley, Stockport, near Manchester in north-west England. According to ITV News, parents said they had been left “too scared” to take their children to the mosque following the series of incidents.

What Happened at Elaf Masjid?

The six attacks took place over an 18-month period, according to ITV News and the Manchester Evening News. They included vandalism to the mosque’s windows, damage to copies of the Quran and pork products being placed on the building’s roof.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the mosque was vandalised in March 2026, shortly after worshippers celebrated the end of Ramadan. In response, the mosque sought Home Office funding intended to help protect places of worship, with support from local authorities and Stockport MP Navendu Mishra.

ITV News reported that, since March, no further incidents had been recorded at the mosque, which it linked to enhanced security measures including 24-hour security, CCTV and strengthened doors and windows. Despite those measures, mosque manager Ahmed Helal said fear continued to affect attendance.

Why Are Families Afraid?

Mr Helal told ITV News that one father stopped attending the mosque because he feared for his children’s safety and had not returned since. As reported by ITV News, Mr Helal said the father told him that “the mosque isn’t safe for his kids”.

Mr Helal said the community remained apprehensive, particularly women, and that worshippers did not feel secure inside the mosque. He said: “If we are praying under security, this is not a normal life, it’s not normal worship. You do not feel safe. You haven’t done anything wrong or made any mistakes – why are you praying under security? It’s very sad.”

Dr Jawad Amin, from the Stockport Council of Mosques, told ITV News that Stockport had experienced the greatest number of mosque-related incidents of any Greater Manchester borough over the past 18 months, with the majority involving Elaf Masjid. He described the incidents as isolated but said they represented “a worrying trend”.

What Did Community Leaders Say?

Councillor Huma Khan, described by ITV News as Stockport’s only Muslim councillor, made an emotional appeal for help following the anti-Muslim hostility. She said her young nephews, including one aged seven, had previously been racially abused, and that people in her community faced “anti-Muslim rhetoric in their everyday lives”.

“It shocks me and it hurts that here in Stockport we’ve had anti-Muslim hostility attacks,” Councillor Khan said, according to ITV News. At a Stockport Council meeting, she said the attacks were deliberate and designed to increase fear and make people feel unwelcome and unsafe.

Councillor Khan said her response to hatred was not to hate back, adding that she believed change could be created through education and understanding. The Manchester Evening News reported that she also called for improved hate-crime reporting and stronger action against anti-Muslim hatred.

How Did Police Respond?

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson condemned religiously motivated attacks in remarks to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which were cited by ITV News. He said: “We have seen the expression of hate crime on the streets of Greater Manchester in its most visceral form.”

Sir Stephen said:

“In exactly the same way as anti-Semitism is wrong and is not to be tolerated, so too is Islamophobia, or any other form of hate crime. There is no place for hate crime anywhere in Greater Manchester.”

He also referred to attacks on Jewish communities, citing the Heaton Park synagogue as a principal example.

Speaking at a policing conference on November 6, Sir Stephen said Greater Manchester Police were responding “with all vigour” to reported increases in Islamophobia. He said the idea that parents were frightened to send children to a place of worship or education was “intolerable” and needed to be combated “very, very fiercely”.

What Other Incidents Were Reported?

The reporting also documented anti-Muslim hostility beyond the mosque. In January 2026, Camran Butt’s family discovered a pig’s head on their driveway in Cheadle while preparing to leave for school.

Security footage captured two individuals at the property, with one appearing to place the head on a spike at the front gate, according to the Manchester Evening News. Greater Manchester Police investigated and provided support to the family, but were unable to identify any suspects.

Ten months later, Mr Butt told ITV News that his family still felt unsafe despite support from neighbours, the local community and police. He said: “It’s something I think about all the time,” and described feeling more vigilant when leaving home or walking through the park as nights became darker.

Mr Butt also said people appeared more willing to express hostile views online and in public. He told ITV News: “It’s quite scary to be honest with you. You just do not know what will happen when you are leaving home.”

What Are the Wider Hate-Crime Figures?

ITV News reported that Greater Manchester recorded 343 anti-Muslim hate crimes between October 2025 and September 2026, the highest number for any religion during that period. The same period saw 9,438 crimes recorded as racially motivated.

Across the UK, religious hate crimes targeting Muslims increased by 15% in the year ending March 2026, according to figures cited by ITV News. The Manchester Evening News reported that Stockport’s recorded anti-Muslim hate-crime incidents ranked second lowest among borough-level figures, although it noted that hate crimes are often underreported.

The Manchester Evening News also reported that Stockport recorded 626 racially motivated crimes, fewer than several other Greater Manchester boroughs, including Manchester. It said underreporting could be influenced by concerns that police may not take incidents seriously.

What Are Local Authorities Doing?

Stockport Council leader Councillor Mark Roberts thanked Councillor Khan for raising the issue and said he stood firmly against hate of all types and forms. He said: “Life is too short for us to hold on to hate when there is so much more that unites us.”

Councillor Dan Oliver, Stockport Council’s cabinet member for community services, said the council planned to implement its anti-racism policy over the following year and encourage hate-crime reporting. He said the council regularly met local Muslim leaders at Cheadle Masjid, alongside police representatives, to discuss unreported hate crimes.

Councillor Oliver said the council was working with Cheadle Masjid and others to establish more hate-crime reporting centres and a network of ambassadors across the borough. He said trusted community and faith leaders could provide vital support to victims who were reluctant to approach police or the council directly.

What Has Greater Manchester Said?

Greater Manchester Mayor Bev Craig hosted a “first of its kind” roundtable with Muslim communities across Greater Manchester, attended by Councillor Khan and Councillor Roberts. The discussion focused on addressing the rise in Islamophobia in the region.

Mayor Craig said Greater Manchester had committed to challenging the Home Office to secure funding for two mosques that felt under attack, and to work with schools. She said: “There is no place in Greater Manchester for hatred and hostility. We’ve seen time and time again how our Muslim community is demonised in our city region. There’s absolutely no place for it.”

Mayor Craig said she would engage with individual mosques and schools that raised concerns, to ensure they felt safe and supported.

What Have Politicians Said?

Stockport MP Navendu Mishra has consistently condemned the attacks on Elaf Masjid as “truly terrible” and “completely unacceptable”, according to the Manchester Evening News. He said hatred and division were rising in many parts of the UK, but insisted that those responsible did not represent Stockport.

Mr Mishra said:

“People from all over the world are drawn to Stockport because it is a great place to live and grow old, but a very small minority exploits bigotry and division to target other communities, which is unacceptable.”

He said he would work with anyone to stand against such behaviour.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also expressed support following the March vandalism, according to the Manchester Evening News. In May, Sir Keir said:

“The vandalism of a place of worship is utterly despicable, and for it to occur the morning after Eid is particularly shocking.”

Background of the Development

The Elaf Masjid attacks form part of a wider pattern of reported anti-Muslim hostility in Greater Manchester. ITV News reported that the mosque was vandalised in March 2026, hours after the congregation celebrated the end of Ramadan, and that it subsequently applied for Home Office funding for protecting places of worship.

The Cheadle incident involving Camran Butt’s family occurred in January 2026, when a pig’s head was found on the family’s driveway. Police investigated but did not identify suspects, while Mr Butt said his family continued to feel unsafe despite community and police support.

The reports emerged amid broader concerns about hate crime in Greater Manchester. ITV News reported 343 anti-Muslim hate crimes in the region between October 2025 and September 2026, alongside 9,438 racially motivated crimes in the same period. The Manchester Evening News reported that the Elaf mosque had also been developing a food bank as part of efforts to build more positive relationships with the wider community.

Prediction: How This May Affect Muslim Families

For Muslim families in Stockport and nearby areas, the immediate effect may be continued caution around mosque attendance, children’s religious activities and everyday movement in public spaces. The reports suggest that fear is already influencing behaviour, with at least one family reducing or stopping attendance at Elaf Masjid because of safety concerns.

Parents may place greater importance on visible security, escorted travel to worship, communication with schools and reporting mechanisms for harassment or abuse. The reported involvement of police, the council, the Greater Manchester Mayor’s office and community organisations may increase confidence among some families, particularly if funding, reporting centres and school-based work are implemented.

For the wider Stockport community, the development may increase pressure on local institutions to respond quickly to hate-crime reports and to maintain visible support for affected residents. If attacks continue or remain unreported, families may become more isolated from communal religious life; if reporting improves and protective measures are sustained, the impact may be limited to heightened vigilance rather than a sustained withdrawal from public worship.