UK: Mosque in East Sussex damaged in suspected arson, Police probing it as ‘hate crime’

A mosque in Peacehaven, East Sussex, near Brighton, was damaged in a suspected arson attack on Saturday night. Police are treating the incident as a hate crime. Two people were inside the mosque at the time but escaped unharmed.

A volunteer at the mosque, who wished to remain anonymous, said two individuals wearing balaclavas tried to force open the front door.

When they found it locked, they poured a flammable liquid on the entrance and a nearby car, setting it alight. “It could have been murder,” the volunteer said.

Fire crews were called to the mosque on Phyllis Avenue at around 21:50 BST. Sussex Police confirmed the front entrance and a vehicle outside were damaged, but no one was injured.

Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna told the BBC, “We understand the concerns this has caused within the community, and the impact that will be felt by the Muslim community as a result. There is already an increased police presence at the scene and additional patrols are taking place to provide reassurance at other places of worship across the county.”

Another attack on Jewish worship place, 2 killed

The Peacehaven mosque attack comes shortly after another attack on a place of worship, when two Jewish people were killed outside a synagogue in Manchester on Thursday.

The suspect, 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British citizen of Syrian descent, was shot dead at the scene.

‘Everybody deeply saddened and appalled’

Tariq Jung, chair of the Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum, said the attacks in Manchester and Peacehaven have left “everybody deeply saddened and appalled.”

He said, “Irrespective of whether worshippers were Jewish, Christian, Hindu or Muslim, the last thing they should expect is that someone would try to harm them. I hope faith leaders and others within the community will come together to try and bring peace. We’ve got to support each other at this time of great need.”