Police in the United Kingdom are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mosque in Peacehaven, near Brighton, after two masked individuals set the building ablaze on Saturday night while two people were still inside. Authorities are treating the incident as a hate crime, adding to growing concerns over a surge in Islamophobic and antisemitic violence across the country.
According to a mosque manager who spoke to CNN, the attackers arrived shortly before 10 p.m., attempting to force open the door before pouring gasoline on the steps and setting it on fire. Inside, the mosque chairman and a fellow worshipper, both in their 60s, were having tea when they heard a loud bang and narrowly escaped as flames engulfed the entrance.
“They could have easily died,” the manager said. “These people came with full intent to cause maximum damage.”
The fire destroyed part of the mosque’s entrance and a vehicle belonging to the chairman, who works as a taxi driver. “Unfortunately, just a shell of his vehicle is left,” the manager added.
Police and Community Response
Sussex Police confirmed that nobody was physically injured but said the attack’s emotional toll on the local Muslim community was profound. Authorities have increased patrols around Peacehaven and other places of worship in the area.
Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna assured residents that police were working closely with community leaders to provide support and enhance security.
Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary, who represents the Lewes district, condemned the attack, writing on X:
“Appalling to hear about this fire at the mosque in Peacehaven. It is used by my constituents and is an important part of the local community. Police are treating it as a hate crime.”
The Peacehaven mosque had previously been targeted with verbal abuse and vandalism, including egg attacks and racial slurs shouted from passing vehicles. However, community leaders said they “never expected an attack on this level.”
A Nation on Edge
The suspected arson comes just days after a deadly assault outside a synagogue in Manchester, where two Jewish worshippers were killed in a car-ramming and stabbing attack on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the violence, warning that religious hatred is on the rise:
“Hatred is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again.”
The Peacehaven attack underscores the growing atmosphere of fear among faith communities in Britain amid a wave of politically charged and religiously motivated incidents. Local leaders are now calling for stronger protections, accountability, and unity to ensure such acts of hate do not take further root in British society.
