A Scottish man (36) was arrested on Friday evening after attacking and injuring five people with a machete in Edinburgh. Three of them required hospital treatment, but none of the injuries is believed to be life-threatening.
British counter-terrorism police suspect that the man was attempting to target Muslims, reports The Times.
The reason is that, during his arrest, the man shouted that he had “had enough” of the rape of children and that he wanted to protect the country “from these fucking Muslim bastards…”, as can be heard in footage circulating on social media. Two of those attacked are said to have emerged from a mosque.
🚨 BREAKING: A 36-year-old white Scottish man is being investigated by Counter Terrorism Police after five people were stabbed in Edinburgh
He said after his arrest: "I'm protecting the country from these fucking Muslim bastards raping our young daughters" pic.twitter.com/ssrecw0hgi
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) June 20, 2026
The 36-year-old carried out attacks at several different locations.
The alarm was raised at around 8.50 p.m. on Friday evening after two men were found injured in the Sighthill area of the city. It is believed that the men were attacked near Broomhill Mosque. They were taken by ambulance to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
A third man, believed to be an Asian Deliveroo driver, was later found injured on Telford Road, and two further men were attacked in the Leith Walk area.
The suspect also committed acts of vandalism at several locations across the city, including a petrol station, a pizzeria, and a taxi.
Police commented that there is “no place” for faith-based hatred in the country:
Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: “This was a shocking attack, and my first thoughts are with those who were injured and most directly affected. I want to send a clear message of support to all our communities that there is no place for racism or faith-based hatred in a Scotland that is at its best when we stand together.”
Faith-based hatred has nevertheless made itself felt and claimed many lives in the United Kingdom during the twenty-first century, above all through a long series of Islamist terrorist attacks.
A Muslim representative believes Friday’s attack was caused by “Islamophobia”:
A spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain told the BBC: “This incident comes not long after racist pogroms on the streets of Belfast targeting minority families and is a direct consequence of political rhetoric that demonises entire communities.
“To our community: stay vigilant, look after one another, and please report any Islamophobic hate crimes to the police.”
The development is not surprising, but targeted attacks against Muslims have been rare in the United Kingdom. The best-known case is Darren Osborne’s vehicle attack on a group of Muslims near Finsbury Park Mosque in London on 19 June 2017, in which he killed one person and injured eleven others. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment.
This latest attack in Edinburgh also took place on 19 June.