A mosque in East Sussex has been deliberately set on fire in a blaze which authorities are considering as a hate crime.
Emergency services responded to the mosque located on Phyllis Avenue in Peacehaven at approximately 21:50 local time on Saturday.
Sussex Police reported that although there were no casualties, the fire caused harm to the building’s front entryway and a car that was nearby.
“We understand the concerns this has caused within the community, and the impact that will be felt by the Muslim community as a result,” Det Supt Karrie Bohanna said.
She added that police numbers have been boosted at the location and that further patrols are being conducted to offer reassurance at other religious sites throughout the region.
An unnamed volunteer from the mosque informed the BBC that two individuals attempted to get in through the main door but found it secured.
According to the volunteer, they subsequently splashed a liquid around the doorway and close to an external vehicle, which was then ignited.
“It could have been murder,” the man said, adding that two people inside the mosque managed to escape.
Unofficial video shared online seems to depict two individuals wearing balaclavas walking up to an entrance just before a major fire erupts.
The authenticity of this footage has yet to be confirmed.
This event has drawn further attention to the security of religious buildings, coming after a Thursday assault near a Manchester synagogue where two Jewish individuals lost their lives.
The assailant, who was killed by police at the location, was identified as 35-year-old Jihad Al-Shamie, a British national of Syrian origin.
Tariq Jung, who leads the Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum, expressed that people are “everybody is deeply saddened and appalled” by the events in Manchester and Peacehaven.
He mentioned that, regardless of whether people are Jewish, Christian, Hindu, or Muslim, the “last thing” they should anticipate is someone attempting to injure them.
“I hope faith leaders and others within the community will come together to try and bring peace,” he told BBC Radio Sussex.
“We’ve got to… support each other at this time of great need.”
The advocacy organisation Brighton and Hove Stand Up to Racism stated that this act did not occur in a “vacuum”.
“For a number of weeks now, racist and fascist groups have been whipping up an atmosphere of hatred and intimidation against black and Asian people across the South Sussex coast with flags, stickers and racist graffiti,” it said.
Chris Ward, the Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, described the assault on the mosque as “disgusting”.
He stated: “That there were no injuries is purely by chance. This violence and hatred have no place in our peaceful, tolerant local community. We will root it out and we stand in solidarity with all affected.”
Zoe Nicholson, who leads the Lewes District Council, added that the Muslim community in Peacehaven has the “unwavering support and solidarity” of the local authority.
“Be in no doubt, we stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” she said.
