Mosque with two people inside set ablaze in UK

A mosque in Peacehaven, near Brighton, on the south coast of England, was set ablaze on Saturday night in a suspected arson attack that police are treating as a hate crime. Two people were inside the building at the time but escaped unharmed.

According to reports, two masked individuals attempted to force open the mosque’s door before dousing the entrance with gasoline and setting it alight. Emergency crews arrived at the scene shortly before 10 p.m. local time to contain the blaze.

The mosque’s chairman and another worshipper, both in their 60s, were having tea inside when they heard a loud bang and saw flames engulfing the main entrance. They managed to flee before the fire spread further.

“They could have easily died,” the mosque’s manager, who spoke to CNN anonymously, said. “These people came with full intent to cause maximum damage. Everyone is scared. We don’t know what’s next.”

Police confirmed that the fire caused significant damage to the mosque’s entrance and to a vehicle parked outside —the chairman’s car, which he relied on for work as a taxi driver. “Unfortunately, just a shell of his vehicle is left,” the manager added.

Authorities have increased patrols across Sussex to reassure local faith communities. “We understand the impact this incident will have on the Muslim community,” said Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna of Sussex Police.

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Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, James MacCleary, condemned the incident on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “appalling” and emphasizing that the mosque “is an important part of the local community.”

The Peacehaven mosque, established four years ago, had previously faced minor attacks, including vandalism and verbal abuse. However, the mosque manager said this was the most severe incident yet.

The arson comes amid heightened religious tensions in the UK following a recent attack outside a synagogue in Manchester that left two Jewish worshippers dead. Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned that attack, warning that hatred “is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again.”

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