UK police investigating arson attack on Peacehaven mosque as hate crime

The UK police have reported an arson attack on a Muslim mosque in Peacehaven, East Sussex. 

Police said on Sunday that the mosque on Phyllis Avenue in Peacehaven, East Sussex, was damaged in a suspected "hate attack" which is under investigation.

The fire had no casualties, but the front door entrance of the mosque and a vehicle parked in front of it were damaged in the fire, police said.

Muslim worshipers are said to have just left after Saturday's last prayer service in the evening when the mosque was attacked. Two people still inside the mosque managed to escape from the building without harm.

"We understand the concerns this has caused within the community, and the impact that will be felt by the Muslim community," Det Supt Karrie Bohanna announced. "There is already an increased police presence at the scene and there are also additional patrols taking place to provide reassurance at other places of worship across the county."

She appealed for anyone with information related to the incident or video footage captured on CCTV, dashcam, mobile phone or doorbell cameras to come forth and contact the Sussex police.

Police said they are treating the late-night fire incident at the mosque as a hate crime.

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Meanwhile, Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, described the arson attack on the mosque as "disgusting".

"This violence and hatred has no place in our peaceful, tolerant local community. We will root it out and we stand in solidarity with all affected," Chris Ward said. "That there were no injuries is purely by chance."

Lewes District Council leader Zoe Nicholson said the Muslim community in Peacehaven had the "unwavering support and solidarity" of the local authority.

She gave assurance that the leaders in the society supported the small Muslim community in Peacehaven."Be in no doubt, we stand shoulder to shoulder with you."

Unconfirmed doorbell footage on the internet shows two black clad men wearing balaclavas pouring inflammable liquid on the doorstep and near the car parked outside the mosque, and then igniting, causing it to burst into a large fire.

The hate crime incident comes amid recent reports in Peacehaven of St. George's flags being raised alongside the main roads of the town and in nearby Rottingdean. The move is reportedly related to the nationwide Operation Raise The Colours campaign declared by the UK far-right.

Earlier this year, lawmakers in the British Parliament reviewed a report on a sharp rise in anti-Muslim hate crimes across Europe and the UK.

In a panel hosted by Labour MP Afzal Khan in June, the European Islamophobia Report was reviewed.

“Islamophobic assaults in the UK surged by 73 percent in 2024,” Khan said. “For the past five years, around half of all religious hate crimes in the UK have targeted Muslims.”

The report, which warns of growing hostility and discrimination against Muslim communities across Europe, calls for improved public education for the youth, better tracking, stricter laws, and tougher penalties against the hate crime offenders.

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