A Russian-linked Telegram network is urging British people to carry out violent attacks on mosques and has promised to pay them in cryptocurrency, according to The Guardian. The unsettling request is part of a concerning trend, with the network actively requesting attacks on Muslims and mosques.
There is already evidence that this network is having an effect on the physical world, including the recent desecration of mosques and schools in South and East London, where Islamophobic graffiti has been found. The groups behind these actions have been spreading PDFs containing bomb-making instructions and plans for 3D-printed guns, reports indicate. Concerningly, posters bearing QR codes linking to the groups’ channels have been seen on London streets.
The messaging on the network originally centered on promoting graffiti, but there has been an escalation of rhetoric, with Muslims being explicitly called upon to be attacked with knives. This escalation has alarmed organizations and law enforcement alike.
The Home Office and counter-terrorist police, along with campaign group “Hope Not Hate,” have expressed grave concern about the potential threat of this Russia-linked network, suggesting that it could be even more dangerous than the typical inciting of violence on other extreme-right Telegram channels.
Organizations that track hate crimes, such as the Community Security Trust (CST) and Tell Mama, which monitor attacks on the Jewish and Muslim communities respectively, have also spoken out on this issue.
MI5 director-general Ken McCallum, head of the UK’s domestic security and counter-intelligence agency, has warned that Russian intelligence officers appear bent on creating “sustained mayhem on British and European streets.” As events continue to unfold, the implications for national security and public safety remain a pressing concern.
