The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) is profoundly shocked and alarmed by the Islamophobic arson attack on a mosque in Peacehaven, East Sussex, carried out while people were still inside.
It follows a disturbing pattern of violence and intimidation: just last week, an Imam was stabbed in Hounslow, while mosques across the country have faced bomb threats and coordinated hate campaigns.
Dr Wajid Akhter, the Secretary General says, “These incidents do not occur in a vacuum. This comes as media and political figures escalate collective blame and deliberate misrepresentation of Muslim communities, their causes and their faith.
It also comes during Visit My Mosque, a time when mosques across the UK open their doors to neighbours of all faiths and none, building relationships and strengthening the fabric of our communities. That such an attack should occur at this moment is a stark reminder of how emboldened hatred has become.”
The MCB urges the authorities to bring those responsible swiftly to justice and to provide robust protection for all places of worship. But beyond policing, there must be a reckoning with the hate being stoked in our public discourse. The safety of British Muslims, and of all faith communities, depends on it.
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