Brand attack on mosque almost ends in disaster

Police investigated “hate crimes”

Unknowns light mosque in England

Two men with storm hoods light a mosque in the English county of East Sussex. There is almost a serious misfortune.

On Saturday evening, two previously unknown people laid fire in a mosque in the southern English city of Peapeahaven in the county of East Sussex. The police are investigating a possible hate crime, as can be seen from a statement.

According to reports from BBC and “The Telegraph”, two suspects are said to have tried to penetrate through the main entrance of the mosque. When this failed, they would have poured a flammable liquid on the door and near a parked car and set fire to fire. According to eyewitnesses, two people who were in the building at this time were able to get to safety at the last minute.

The Sussex police stated in a message that the entrance area of ​​the building and a vehicle in front of it were damaged. Nobody was injured. The authority classifies the arson attack as a hate crime, the investigative director Karrie Bohanna said at a press conference: “We know about the concerns that this incident triggered in the community – especially among Muslim citizens.” The investigation continued. Information from the population, for example by surveillance cameras or mobile phones, are urgently requested.

Muslim associations expressed concern. The chairman of the Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum, Tariq Jung, spoke of a “shocking attack” and called for cohesion among religious communities. “Regardless of whether someone is Jewish, Christian or Muslim faith – nobody should have to fear being attacked when visiting a church,” he told the BBC.

The affected mosque is part of a community center, which also serves as a social meeting point for the small Muslim community in Peapeahaven and the surrounding places. Among other things, tutoring, parents’ advice and events on interreligious exchange are offered there. A volunteer announced the local newspaper “The Argus” that the Muslim community had recently experienced an increase in racist hostility.

To prevent further attacks, the police call for vigilance and emphasize the importance of cooperation with the communities. “If you feel unsafe or witness a suspect incident, please contact us,” said superintendent Bohanna. The mosque remains closed until further notice.

The attack occurred just two days after a fatal incident in front of a synagogue in Manchester, in which two Jewish people were killed. According to the police, the attacker had controlled a car in people standing in front of the synagogue and then stabbed with a knife. He is said to have tried to get into the building. The police shot the man to prevent further fatalities and hit one of the two fatalities.