London – Police in the United Kingdom are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mosque in southern England as a ‘hate crime’, amid a growing wave of violent incidents targeting religious sites across the country.

According to Sussex Police, two individuals wearing balaclavas attempted to force open the mosque’s main door before pouring gasoline on the steps and setting it on fire. The blaze damaged the front entrance of the mosque and a car parked nearby, but no injuries were reported. Images and videos circulating online show a burned-out car at the mosque’s entrance.

Emergency services were called to the building on Phyllis Avenue at around 9:50 p.m. UK time on Saturday. Detective Superintendent Karrie Bohanna described the case as a fast-moving investigation and urged the public to assist.

“This is a fast-moving investigation, and we are urging anyone with relevant information to report it to us,” Bohanna said. “This includes anyone with CCTV, Ring Doorbell, dashcam, or mobile phone footage in the area at the time.”

Sussex Police also released CCTV images showing two masked men dressed in dark clothing and appealed for help in identifying them.

A volunteer working at the mosque, who wished to remain anonymous, told the BBC that the attackers tried to break in but were unable to. “They then poured a liquid at the entrance and near a car parked outside, which was set alight. It could have been murder,” he said. He added that two people inside the mosque managed to escape safely.

Condemnation and Broader Concerns

The Muslim Council of Britain condemned the attack, saying it was “profoundly shocked and alarmed by the Islamophobic arson attack” and called on authorities to provide stronger protection for all places of worship. The council added that the incident “follows a disturbing pattern of violence and intimidation,” noting that just last week an imam was stabbed in Hounslow and mosques across the country have faced bomb threats and coordinated hate campaigns.

The attack comes just two days after a deadly assault on a synagogue in northern Manchester, in which two people were killed and three others seriously injured.

Member of the Scottish Parliament and former First Minister Humza Yousaf condemned the recent wave of hate crimes and criticized political and media rhetoric that fuels Islamophobia.

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“We warned you. Many politicians and media outlets have put a target on every Muslim’s back by blaming all of us, and Islam, for the horrific synagogue attack,” Yousaf said in a post on X. “Thursday’s attack was the actions of one deranged extremist. This is what happens when you blame an entire community.”

While British leaders have swiftly condemned violence against other faith groups, the response to the mosque attack has been notably muted. Critics say this silence reflects a double standard in addressing hate crimes and exposes Britain’s inconsistency in upholding human rights and religious tolerance.

Geo TV’s UK correspondent Murtaza Ali Shah also criticized the silence from British political and media circles, writing on X that there was “no outrage in UK media, no condemnation from the PM, and no wall-to-wall coverage” despite worshippers being inside the mosque during the attack.

Observers argue that hate rallies outside Downing Street inciting violence against Muslims have gone unchecked, even as the UK continues to present itself internationally as a champion of pluralism. They warn that such silence normalizes Islamophobia and undermines the country’s credibility when it speaks on global human rights issues.