UK Masjid set afire in suspected hate crime

New Delhi, Oct 6: A mosque in Peacehaven, near Brighton, was set ablaze late Saturday night in a suspected arson attack that police are treating as a hate crime, CNN reported.

Two worshippers in their 60s were inside when the fire broke out but managed to escape unharmed. According to a mosque manager quoted by CNN, two masked individuals “came with full intent to cause maximum damage,” pouring gasoline on the steps before setting the entrance alight. CCTV footage shows the suspects wearing balaclavas, with one in a black “Pre London” jacket and the other in red gloves.

Sussex Police said the blaze caused “significant damage” to the mosque and a nearby car and are investigating the incident as arson with intent to endanger life. Local MP James MacCleary condemned the attack as “appalling,” calling the mosque “an important part of the local community.”

The attack comes amid rising Islamophobic and antisemitic violence in the UK, just days after two Jewish worshippers were killed outside a Manchester synagogue.