A mosque in the seaside town of Peacehaven was set ablaze in a suspected arson attack on Saturday night. The fire damaged the front entrance of the mosque in East Sussex, with the incident being treated as a hate crime by Sussex Police.
Two suspects remain at large after being captured on images approaching the mosque entrance. The balaclava-clad individuals were seen spraying suspected accelerant on the door before igniting the fire just before 10pm in Phyllis Avenue.
Political Response
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Labour) expressed his horror at the attack through his official spokesman on Monday. "He was appalled by the arson attack in Peacehaven," the spokesman said, adding that "attacks against Britain's Muslims are attacks against all Britons and this country itself."
The Prime Minister thanked emergency services for their swift response and declared that "anti-Muslim hatred has no place in Britain." His comments echoed earlier statements from the Home Secretary describing such attacks as assaults on the country itself.
Mothin Ali, deputy leader of the Green Party, pressed police to "seek clarity on the motives of this attack." He highlighted that people were inside the mosque when it was targeted, saying the community would be "feeling frightened and targeted for their faith."
Community Support
More than £3,000 has been raised through GoFundMe from the local community to help the mosque rebuild and repair damage from the attack. One of the mosque's managers, who wished to remain anonymous, described the local response as "heart-warming" but blamed the attack on "anti-Islamic" ideology.
The manager expressed serious concerns about the potential dangers of the attack. He warned the fire could have killed people if it had spread to electrical systems in the mosque or gas canisters in the neighbouring garage.
Wider Concerns
The mosque manager pointed to politics, media outlets and social media causing "anti-Islamic sentiment" to be "riled up" across the country. He described the mosque as a safe haven from such ideology and said "the community as a whole, as you can imagine, they're in fear."
The mosque's spokesperson described feeling "deeply saddened by the shocking arson attack" but expressed gratitude that no one was injured despite damage to the building and vehicles. The statement emphasised that "this hateful act does not represent our community or our town."
Peacehaven has "always been a place of kindness, respect and mutual support," the spokesperson added, calling on everyone to "reject division and respond to hate with unity and compassion." The mosque will remain closed until police complete their investigation.
Sussex Police confirmed the incident is not currently being treated as terror-related and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
