Police investigate hate crime after Glasgow mosque vandalised

A Glasgow mosque has been vandalised with racist graffiti in a hate crime.

Glasgow Central Mosque said it was “deeply upset” to discover “Scots First” had been daubed on a wall outside the building on Adelphi Street.

An investigation by Police Scotland has been launched, with the force saying the graffiti was “vile”.

The incident happened between 17:00 on Sunday and 09:00 on Monday.

A spokesperson for the mosque said it would continue working to ensure people in Glasgow felt welcome, regardless of their faith or background.

They said: “We were deeply upset to find graffiti on the wall of the mosque.

“Glasgow Central Mosque has always been proud of its place within civic society here in Glasgow. We say ‘People Make Glasgow’, and Muslims are very much part of that.

“In business, politics, sport, education, the NHS, and beyond, Scottish Muslims have contributed to and helped shape this city.

“We remain determined to continue bringing light to our city through our many community initiatives that support the most vulnerable and offer hope to those in need.

“We will keep working to ensure Glasgow remains a place where everyone; regardless of faith or background; feels safe, valued, welcome, and at home.”

The spokesperson added that people at the mosque did not believe the vandalism represented the values of Glasgow or Scotland.

Several incidents have taken place at mosques in Scotland throughout 2025.

Last month a pole was thrown through a window at a mosque in East Renfrewshire while children were inside the building.

In August, a teenager was sentenced to 10 years in custody after planning to carry out mass murder at a mosque in Greenock.

The 17-year-old was arrested in January after police caught him with an airgun and aerosol cans outside Inverclyde Muslim Centre.

Earlier this year another teenager denied vandalising a mosque in Aberdeen.

And in September a hate crime was reported after a Muslim girl was allegedly attacked by a man as she walked home from school in East Renfrewshire.

Police Scotland Ch Insp Paul Daley said the force was carrying out extensive enquiries into the latest vandalism.

He said: “I understand this will be deeply upsetting for both the local and Muslim communities in Glasgow and I want to reassure them we take this kind of offending seriously.

“Such vile graffiti is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Anyone with any information on the crime is urged to contact Police Scotland.