Flames of Hate

Introduction

The tranquil seaside town of Peacehaven in East Sussex was rocked by an act of violence on the evening of Saturday, 4 October 2025, when a fire broke out at the Peace Community Centre and Mosque on Phyllis Avenue. ^{6, 10} Emergency services were summoned to the scene at approximately 9:50 PM BST. ¹² The blaze, which is being treated as a suspected arson attack and a hate crime, caused substantial damage to the entrance of the mosque and incinerated a vehicle parked in front of the building. ⁸ Fortuitously, there were no injuries, though two people inside the mosque at the time of the attack narrowly escaped harm. ⁷ The incident has been met with a chorus of condemnation from local and national figures and has heightened concerns about the safety of the Muslim community in the UK.

An Evening of Terror in Peacehaven

Eyewitness accounts and emerging evidence paint a chilling picture of the events of that Saturday night. According to a volunteer at the mosque, two individuals attempted to gain entry through the locked front door before pouring a liquid accelerant at the entrance and on a nearby car, which was then set alight. ⁶ The chairman of the mosque and a volunteer, both in their 60s, were inside the building, having remained after evening prayers for a cup of tea. ⁷ They were alerted by a loud bang and fled as flames engulfed the main entrance. ⁷ A trustee of the mosque, Muhammed Khan, later described the experience as "very traumatic," underscoring the profound shock and fear that has gripped the local Muslim community. ²⁵ Doorbell camera footage that surfaced on Sunday showed a person on the steps of the mosque's entrance with a second individual at the bottom, moments before the fire erupted and someone was seen running to safety from inside the building. ¹³ Another account from a member of the mosque described the perpetrators as "arsonists in balaclavas" and the incident as a "targeted attack". ²³

The damage caused by the fire was significant. Images and footage circulating online and in the media depicted a burnt-out car at the entrance of the mosque, with the front of the building visibly scorched. ^{10, 13} The mosque announced that it would be closed until further notice pending the completion of police investigations. ²³ The attack's potential for even greater devastation was highlighted by Mr. Khan, who noted the proximity of other vehicles and the Peacehaven Ambulance Community Response building next door. ²⁵

The Police Investigation: A Hate Crime Inquiry

Sussex Police have launched a fast-moving investigation into the incident, which they are treating as a suspected arson attack and a hate crime. ^{8, 12} Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna, who is leading the inquiry, has appealed to the public for any information that could aid their investigation. ⁴ This includes anyone with CCTV, Ring doorbell, dashcam, or mobile phone footage from the area at the time of the attack. ⁴ The police have increased their presence at the scene and have stepped up patrols around other places of worship across East Sussex to provide reassurance to the community. ⁴ Detective Superintendent Bohanna affirmed Sussex Police's "zero-tolerance approach to hate crime," stating that "there is no place for hate across the county." ⁴ The police are working closely with local leaders to support the affected community as forensic teams continue to examine the site. ⁴

A Chorus of Condemnation and a Call for Unity

The suspected arson attack has been unequivocally condemned by a wide array of political figures and community leaders, who have expressed their solidarity with the Muslim community of Peacehaven. Chris Ward, the Labour Member of Parliament for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, described the attack as "disgusting" and stated that the absence of injuries was "purely by chance." ⁴ He emphasised that "this violence and hatred has no place in our peaceful, tolerant local community. We will root it out and we stand in solidarity with all affected." ⁴ Councillor Zoe Nicholson, the leader of Lewes District Council, expressed her shock and sadness at the "deeply distressing incident that strikes at the heart of our community." ⁴ She offered the "unwavering support and solidarity" of the council to the Muslim community. ⁴ Councillor Bella Sankey, the Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, also issued a statement, asserting that "Islamophobia and racist violence have no place in our region." ¹⁵

Expressions of support have also come from other faith communities. Phil Rosenberg, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, unequivocally condemned the attack, stating, "Every faith community has the right to worship free from fear. Our country is better than this." ³⁴ Brighton and Hove Stand Up to Racism also extended their solidarity, affirming their stance "together with the Muslim community against Islamophobia, just as we stand with the Jewish community against antisemitism." ²⁰ A spokesperson for the Peacehaven mosque, while deeply saddened by the "shocking arson attack," emphasised that "this hateful act does not represent our community or our town." ²⁰ They called for a rejection of division and a response of "unity and compassion" to hate. ²⁰

A Rising Tide of Islamophobia in the United Kingdom

The attack on the Peacehaven mosque did not occur in a vacuum. It is a stark manifestation of a broader and deeply troubling trend of rising Islamophobia in the United Kingdom. Home Office data for the year ending in March 2024 revealed a 13% increase in religious hate crimes targeting Muslims, with 3,866 offences recorded. ¹⁸ Overall, religious hate crimes saw a 25% increase in the same period, the highest annual count since the collection of such data began in the year ending March 2012. ³⁵ These statistics, while alarming, are widely considered to be an underrepresentation of the true scale of the problem, as many hate crimes go unreported. ³⁸

A survey conducted by Muslim Census in collaboration with MEND, a not-for-profit organisation, found that almost half (42%) of the mosques and Islamic institutions surveyed had experienced religiously motivated attacks in the preceding three years. ¹⁴ The most common form of attack was vandalism, with some mosques reporting broken windows, vandalised vehicles, and racist graffiti. ¹⁴ Worryingly, 17% of the mosques surveyed had faced physical abuse directed at staff or worshippers, including the stabbing of an imam. ¹⁴ Four of the 113 mosques surveyed had been the victims of arson attacks in the last three years. ¹⁴

The roots of this escalating Islamophobia are complex and multifaceted. A 2024 report by the Runnymede Trust highlighted the role of divisive political rhetoric and negative media portrayals in casting British Muslims as "outsiders" and a "menace to society." ²² The report pointed to the racist riots of the summer of 2024 as a clear outcome of intensifying Islamophobia, with direct attacks on Muslims and mosques. ²² The Centre for Media Monitoring found that 59% of over 10,000 articles and broadcast clips referring to Muslims associated them with negative behaviour. ¹⁸ Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has spoken of how the "stereotyping, stigmatising, and demonising of British Muslims by some in politics, the media and think tanks has poisoned our public discourse and created an atmosphere where Muslims are seen as fair game." ²²

The political discourse surrounding immigration and national security has often been weaponised to stoke anti-Muslim sentiment. ¹⁸ In 2015, then-Prime Minister David Cameron was criticised for accusing Muslims of "quietly condoning ISIS." ³⁰ More recently, the Muslim Council of Britain has raised serious concerns about the prevalence of Islamophobia within the Conservative Party, submitting a dossier of incidents involving over 300 individuals. ²⁷ The failure of the government to adopt a working definition of Islamophobia has been criticised by some as a hindrance to efforts to combat anti-Muslim sentiment. ^{24, 39}

The consequences of this hostile environment are far-reaching. A September 2017 report by the Social Mobility Commission concluded that Muslims were being held back in the workplace by widespread Islamophobia, racism, and discrimination. ²⁴ Despite outperforming their non-Muslim counterparts in education, Muslims were roughly half as likely to hold higher managerial, administrative, and professional occupations. ²⁴ Almost 50% of Muslim households are considered to be in poverty, compared with less than 20% of the overall population. ²⁴ British Muslim women, in particular, have reported feeling increasingly unsafe in public and have faced heightened levels of verbal and physical violence. ¹⁸

The Security of Sacred Spaces: A National Concern

The attack in Peacehaven, occurring just days after a deadly attack outside a synagogue in Manchester in which two Jewish worshippers were killed ⁷, has brought the issue of security at places of worship into sharp focus. ^{6, 21} Tariq Jung, chair of the Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum, spoke of the deep sadness and apprehension felt by all faith communities, stating that worshippers, "irrespective of whether [they were] Jewish, Christian, Hindu or Muslim," should not have to fear for their safety. ⁶

In response to the growing threat, many mosques and Islamic institutions have been forced to invest in enhanced security measures, including CCTV cameras and security guards, placing a significant financial burden on these community-funded organisations. ²⁸ The Scottish Association of Mosques has announced that new security measures, including 24-hour patrols, are being implemented at places of worship in Scotland following a series of incidents. ²⁹

The Finsbury Park attack in 2017, where a man drove a van into Muslim worshippers, killing one person and injuring several others, serves as a grim reminder of the potential for lethal violence against the Muslim community. ³² The attack on the Peacehaven mosque, though thankfully not resulting in fatalities, underscores the ever-present danger faced by Muslims in the UK.

The Way Forward: Combating Hate and Fostering Cohesion

The fire at the Peacehaven mosque is a stark wake-up call. It is a painful illustration of the corrosive impact of hatred and intolerance on the fabric of British society. The immediate response from the community in Peacehaven, with neighbours expressing their shock and disgust at the attack and affirming their support for the local Muslim community, offers a glimmer of hope. ⁹ One resident, Isabel Gilles, articulated this sentiment, stating, "I just want people to feel welcome here. It's really horrible that people might be made to feel unwelcome and scared." ⁹

However, community solidarity, while crucial, is not enough. There is a pressing need for a concerted and robust response from the government, law enforcement, and civil society to tackle the root causes of Islamophobia. This must include a commitment to challenging hateful rhetoric in politics and the media, promoting a more balanced and nuanced understanding of Islam and Muslim communities, and ensuring that perpetrators of hate crimes are brought to justice.

The adoption of a clear and widely accepted definition of Islamophobia is seen by many as a vital first step in addressing this issue effectively. ²⁷ Furthermore, there is a need for greater investment in educational initiatives that promote interfaith dialogue and understanding, and for policies that address the socio-economic disadvantages faced by many British Muslims.

The flames that engulfed the entrance of the Peacehaven mosque on that October night were a physical manifestation of a deeper-seated animosity that threatens the social cohesion of the United Kingdom. How the nation responds to this and similar acts of hatred will be a true test of its commitment to the values of tolerance, diversity, and mutual respect. The path forward requires not just condemnation of violence, but a determined and sustained effort to extinguish the embers of prejudice before they can ignite into further acts of hatred.