Amid a far-right campaign of hate targeting the new mosque being built near the Lake District, 5Pillars spoke to the local Cumbrian converts who are defending their new mosque.
The site for the new mosque is located in the small English town of Dalton-in-Furness, which lies just outside Cumbria’s picturesque Lake District.
The £2.5 million South Lakes Islamic Centre project is being spearheaded by a group of local Muslim doctors at Barrow’s Furness General Hospital.
The mosque is required to provide facilities for the area’s modest-sized Muslim community to worship and congregate for weekly Jumu’ah prayers, as well as catering for a growing number of Muslim tourists who visit the area.
However, following the start of the building project, a storm of right-wing outrage has been whipped up by far-right agitators and has now escalated into a campaign of harassment and intimidation.
Far-right activists have staged several protests outside the construction site; the latest occurring on July 19 which saw around 150-200 activists, both pro and against the mosque, in attendance.
The anti-mosque protests appear to be largely organised by Britain First, a far-right group which peddles racist and xenophobic ideologies.
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Police said they made three arrests a the latest protest on Saturday though the majority of people acted in a “safe manner.”
But 5Pillars witnessed the protesters, who were holding up signs saying “No to the mosque” and “Not racists, just patriotic” using abusive language throughout the day.
At the July 19 protest, 5Pillars discovered several anti-fascist protesters defending the site happened to also be local Cumbrian converts to Islam.
Although they agreed to speak to 5Pillars, they wished to keep their identities hidden due to fear of far-right harassment.
Emma, a hijab wearing British convert, explained why she came out to defend the mosque.
“As reverts it is important to come here today because a lot of the things they are shouting is about race. It’s not just about the mosque, its never been just about the mosque, they are angry about a lot of things such as race.
“As a British Muslim I want to stand here on behalf of my friends who are scared to come here because of what they (the anti-mosque protesters) are doing .. I am here because I love Islam and I love this mosque… Everyone deserves a safe place to worship God.”
Emma officially embraced Islam back in December after researching the religion for over a year. She decided to embrace Islam after reading the English translation of the Holy Quran.
5Pillars also spoke with Daniel who was also precent at the demonstration. He explained why a mosque being built is a positive development for the community and not something to be feared.
“I know the media has a lot of negatives to say when demonising Muslims but my experience of Islam in my adult life has been nothing but positive. Muslim are a very generous people and engage in a lot of charity.
“I am glad that so many local people have come to defend this mosque. Religious and non-religious people and people of no particular politics have just seen racism and oppression and have come here to stand against it.”
5Pillars also spoke to Ollie, a 19-year-old local convert who is also working behind the scenes to assist the South Lakes Islamic Centre project.
Ollie urged locals who are worried about the arrival of a mosque to Dalton-in-Furness not to listen to far-right agitators, but to discuss the move with local Muslims instead.
“Alhamdulillah, I’ve been a Muslim for about two years now and it was without a doubt the best decision I ever made… One of the most fantastic aspects of Islam is that it is not a religion of race or colour or nationality. Muslims are here to integrate into this community. I’m from The Lakes, this is my home. We are here not just for Muslims but to serve the whole community. Just come and talk to us, we are here and would welcome any questions.”
5Pillars attempted to speak to anti-mosque protesters at the latest demonstration to establish if any of the members were locals. The protest leaders prevented 5Pillars from doing so and pleaded with police to remove our journalist from their side of the road.
Far-right threat
Most of the Muslims at the protest didn’t wish to be filmed due to the fear of being targeted by the far-right.
Activists belonging to Britain First and UKIP have ventured into the area on several occasions to film themselves harassing builders, project leaders or local activists defending the mosque.
In a video posted on X, UKIP leader Nick Tenconi could be seen heckling workers, calling them “traitors” who have “sold their souls.”
In a separate video, Tenconi filmed himself spouting Islamophobic propaganda and conspiracy theories against the mosque.
“There is absolutely no need to put a mosque here. And the soul reason is to artificially flood the area with Muslims as an extension of ‘Operation Scatter,’ including ISIS warriors, Johnny Jihads, Islamists and the dregs of the Third World.
“They will descend on this poor Cumbrian community. Our Lake District is a national institution. We are being conquered.”
Tenconi, who is of Italian decent, is not a local in Dalton-in-Furnes and has travelled to the area specifically to engage in protests. It is believed most of the anti-mosque protest organisers are also community outsiders.
Additionally, 5Pillars research has discovered numerous examples of threats being made against the mosque on social media sites like X. 5Pillars contacted both the South Lakes Islamic Centre and Cumbria police about this online abuse to raise the alarm.
A representative from the mosque informed 5Pillars the Tenconi video had been reported to police and a temporary fence was being built at the front of the site so people could not film and “harass” workers.
The mosque is also hiring a security guard to protect the site overnight.
Labour MP Michelle Scrogham, who represents Barrow and Furness, has said the hostility shown towards the project was unacceptable and labelled the protesters “racist.”
“The comments that plague the social media pages constantly don’t represent the people of this area. The people of this area have always been incredibly welcoming.”
She added: “We’ve had immigration on a mass scale for many, many years. Anybody that wants to come here and say you’re not welcome, they’re wrong. It’s just utterly wrong.”
Mosques under attack
Mosques have become a favoured target of far-right attacks in recent years with multiple incidents occurring across the UK since the start of 2025.
A man in Sheffield who deliberately released wild rats near a mosque has avoided jail after admitting racially motivated crimes.
Edmund Fowler drove to the Grand Mosque in Sheffield between May and June on four different occasions and filmed himself taking the caged rats out of the boot of his vehicle and encouraging the creatures to enter the place of worship.
Fowler pleaded guilty to four counts of racially aggravated harassment at a previous hearing and it still “remains a mystery” why he did it, Sheffield Magistrates’ Court heard earlier.
And on June 20, a viable explosive device, identified as a pipe bomb, was thrown through a window during evening prayers at Belfast Islamic Centre as up to thirty worshippers prayed inside.
34-year-old Jonathan Robert Bell, from the Chester Manor area of Belfast, was arrested by counter-terrorism police following the attack.
After 5Pillars reached out to Cumbria Police over concerns of threatening abuse online Superintendent Lee Skelton responded via a statement which said: “Cumbria police takes all reports of hate crime and harassment extremely seriously and will not hesitate to take action against comments or posts online that are threatening, abusive or grossly offensive and cross threshold of being a hate crime.
“Officers have increased patrols in the Dalton-in-Furness area and are monitoring online comments and threads. Our Neighbourhood Policing team is working closely with community groups and partners to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all residents.
“If you have been victim to a hate crime or witnessed a hate crime, please report this to us. Anyone with concerns, or who has witnessed any offences can report online: Report a crime | Cumbria Police, or speak to an officer on 101, in an emergency call 999. You can also report Hate Crimes online through the True Vision web site at report-it.org.uk“
