A mosque charity has raised over £30,000 following a suspected arson attack on Saturday evening, which is being treated as a hate crime by police.
Fire crews were called to the incident at Peacehaven Mosque in Sussex on 4 October and a 25-year-old man has been arrested and is in custody.
No one was injured in the incident but the front entrance of the building and a vehicle outside were damaged, police confirmed, while the mosque is temporarily closed.
At the time of the fire, Peacehaven Mosque said in a statement it was “deeply saddened” by the incident and “profoundly grateful” no one was injured.
The mosque set up a fundraising page raising money for Peace Community Centre in response to the incident, with a target to raise £100,000 to “repair the building, replace what’s lost and protect the mosque so this never happens again”.
On its fundraising page, which has so far attracted nearly £35,000 in donations, the mosque wrote: “We’re not responding with anger or division. We’re responding with unity, sabr and action.
“This was a test, and we’ll rise from it. Our goal now is simple: rebuild stronger, safer, and more secure – for everyone who calls this place home.”
Police investigation
Two people inside the mosque managed to escape through the front entrance during the time of the fire.
Besides the man currently in custody, another 46-year-old man was arrested on Monday afternoon and has now been released on conditional bail while enquiries continue.
Detective chief inspector Mark Cullimore from Surrey Police said the investigation is “progressing at pace”.
Superintendent Rachel Swinney added: “Sussex Police takes a zero-tolerance approach to hate crime and there is no place for hate across the county.”
The British Muslim Trust said it is in contact with the mosque following the attack and has been engaging with Muslims nationwide.
Akeela Ahmed, CEO of the trust, said the suspected arson had sent “shockwaves throughout Muslim communities”.
He said: “This callous attack comes amid a deeply concerning rise in hate crimes targeting mosques across the UK and raised fear in Muslim communities nationwide.”
The trust added that it had reported its concerns to the government and called for a national response to ensure attacks on British Muslims are met with the “full force of the law”.
Muslim communities ‘being scapegoated’
Meanwhile a separate attempted arson incident occurred on Sunday at Kettering Mosque in Northamptonshire.
Arif Ali Rafiq, 43, appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court charged with attempted arson.
The Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) published a statement on Sunday saying that recent attacks on mosques are part of a “deeply disturbing chain reaction” sparked by the Manchester incident last week, in which two Jewish worshippers were killed at a synagogue.
MCF chief executive Fadi Itani said: “This is yet another occasion where Muslim communities are being scapegoated through divisive rhetoric.
“We must stand together in solidarity to build a society rooted in hope, compassion, and mutual respect.”
