A mosque in Peacehaven, near Brighton in the United Kingdom, was set on fire in what police suspect to be an arson attack motivated by hate, leaving two people trapped inside at the time.
Authorities have confirmed they are treating the blaze as a hate crime.
The shocking incident adds to a string of violent episodes marking a tense summer in Britain, with both Islamophobic and antisemitic hate crimes on the rise
It occurred just days after a deadly assault outside a synagogue in Manchester.
According to a voluntary mosque manager who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, two masked individuals attempted to force open the mosque’s main door on Saturday night before dousing the entrance with gasoline and setting it alight.
Emergency crews responded to the fire shortly before 10 p.m. local time.
Inside the mosque, the chairman and another worshipper, both in their 60s, were having tea when they heard a loud bang.
They managed to flee as flames engulfed the entrance. It remains unclear whether the attackers knew people were inside.
“They could have easily died,” the manager said. “These people came with full intent to cause maximum damage.”
He added, “The chairman was shaking the whole time, and a neighbor came out onto the street crying. Everyone is scared. If someone was willing to do this, we don’t know what’s next.”
The small mosque, established four years ago, typically serves about 10 to 15 worshippers who gather for evening prayers around 8:15 p.m. After prayers ended, the chairman and a volunteer stayed behind for tea — a usual routine.
“They are old chaps in their 60s and usually do that. The mosque is usually a very friendly and relaxed environment,” the manager explained.
Security footage from the mosque’s door camera reportedly shows two people in balaclavas approaching the building, attempting to open the door, then pouring gasoline around the entrance and onto the chairman’s car.
“Then we saw them pouring gasoline all over the floor and the door of the mosque and the chairman’s car outside,” the manager said.
Police confirmed that the fire damaged both the mosque’s front and a vehicle parked outside.
The chairman, who works as a taxi driver, depended on the car for his livelihood. “Unfortunately, just a shell of his vehicle is left,” the manager said.
Although no one was physically hurt, police emphasized that the incident’s emotional and social toll “will be felt by the Muslim community” in the small seaside town.
Local MP James MacCleary of the Liberal Democrats condemned the act on X, saying, “Appalling to hear about this fire at the mosque in Peacehaven. It is used by my constituents and is an important part of the local community. Police are treating it as a hate crime.”
The mosque had previously faced lesser forms of harassment. Last August, eggs were thrown at the building on two separate nights, and passersby shouted racial slurs and insults.
“But we never expected an attack on this level,” the manager said. “The community right now is on their toes. They feel unsafe, they are paranoid. There is a lot going on right now.”
Sussex Police have stepped up patrols in the area to reassure residents and safeguard other places of worship. “An increased police presence is in place at the scene with additional patrols to provide reassurance at other places of worship across the county,” said Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna.
The attack follows Thursday’s deadly assault outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, in which two Jewish worshippers were killed in a car-ramming and stabbing incident.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced that attack, warning that hatred “is rising once again, and Britain must defeat it once again.”
