Anti-racist campaigners have condemned the fire, apparently deliberately started at a mosque in Worthing last night. The news of the fire came as campaigners sent a complaint to Channel 4 on the broadcast of the ‘Immigration is a time bomb’ by Rod Liddle on 10 March. The programme portrayed asylum seekers and migrants as responsible for the heterosexual spread of HIV, over crowded transport system and other problems. It also portrayed Islam as ‘incompatible with the basic values of Britishness’. It contained an interview with Nick Griffin, leader of the British National Party, currently on bail over incitement to racial hatred charges, on freedom of speech.
Lee Jasper, secretary of the National Assembly Against Racism
said: ‘We send out a message of solidarity to the Muslim community in
Worthing and welcome the fact that no one was hurt as a result of this attack.
It is appalling that a place of worship can be attacked in this way. We also
question the motivation behind this seemingly deliberate act of violence and
request that any possible link to last night’s Channel 4 broadcast is
also considered by the police in their investigations. We note that the BNP,
whose ranks include people with criminal convictions for racial violence,
were the first to praise this program on their website.
' There has already been extensive research on the link between negative media
portrayal of asylum seekers and racist attacks, not least by the Association
of Chief Police Officers. It is essential that the investigation into this
fire also includes this possibility.
'Finally, we appeal on the broadcasters, both public and private, to ensure
that they do not lose sight of their responsibility not to perpetrate myths,
misconceptions and lies about any section of our diverse society, and inadvertently
give ammunition to those who seek to spread the seeds of hatred.’
Coverage of the attack:
Two arrested over mosque attack
From Muslim News, Friday 25 March 2005
By Elham Asaad Buaras
A 27 year-old man and a 17-year-old woman, both white, from Worthing, were
arrested on March 13, in connection with the arson attack on Worthing Islamic
Society Masjid Al-Islam in Ivy Arch Road, Worthing, West Sussex. They have
been bailed to return to the police station on March 23.
A worshiper at the mosque discovered the fire when he arrived for fajr (dawn)
prayers in the early hours of Friday March 11.
Arsonists broke into the mosque at around 11pm on Thursday March 10, and set
fire to mattresses on the ground floors. No structural damage was caused to
the 12-year-old building. However, all floors have been completely torched,
forcing worshipers to perform Jum’a (Friday prayers) in the adjacent
car park.
A West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said the incident was being
treated as suspicious. Police scenes of crime officers were at the mosque,
together with a fire brigade sniffer dog.
More than a dozen fire fighters were sent to the building, where much of the
ground floor was damaged by smoke and fire.
The fire spokeswoman said, “The fire is being treated as suspicious
and an investigation is under way. We believe the fire started on the ground
floor and around 30% of the ground floor was been affected.”
Speaking to The Muslim News, Mosque President, Ali Abdur Rahman, said, “I
believe the police are treating the incident as racist, but the 300 or so
Muslim families in Worthing have only experienced Islamophobia directly after
the September 11 attacks. We haven’t experienced it since.”
Mosque Trustee, Khalid Hasan, told The Muslim News that he did not believe
the attack was Islamophobic insisting it was “more likely a result of
mischief.”
“Some aspects of the media have played up the racist angle but I don’t
believe it is. Gangs of youths stand at the back of the mosque, and in some
cases, they’re drinking and looking for something to do, messing around,”
he said.
However, not everyone in the community is convinced the attack is purely a
result of “mischief”. Secretary of Sussex Muslim Society Trust,
which represents 16 mosques in West Sussex (including Masjid Al Salam) Imam
Jalil Sajid, told The Muslim News he was “under no doubt that the attack
was a horrendous Islamophobic attack. This is not the first time the mosque
was targeted; it has been subject to several attacks since 2001.” Imam
Sajid called for the police to catch the culprit and “provide protection
to ensure the attack is not repeated.”
Speaking to The Muslim News, Detective Inspector Jeff Lister, said, “These
arrests over the weekend are a significant development. We are, however, keeping
an open mind both to the motive behind this arson and who is responsible.
The arson at the mosque has had a great impact on the Islamic community of
Worthing and we ask anyone who has any information to come forward.”
Police will be looking to see if the arson attack is linked with a recent
burglary.
Anybody with information is asked to contact Worthing CID on 0845 60 70
Police probe broken gas pipe at Worthing mosque
From Worthing Herald, 17 March 2005
A SICKENING fire-bomb attack on Worthing's mosque has rocked the town's Muslim
community.
Muslims have been left deeply shocked by Friday's arson attack on the mosque
in Ivy Arch Road, which was started in a downstairs prayer room at around
5.30am.
The fire-bombers, according to members of the Worthing Islamic Society, broke
in through the mosque's back door and set light to a gas pipe they had cut.
And if it wasn't for worshippers turning up for early morning prayers, the
mosque could have been burnt to cinders.
Ali Abdul Rahman, chairman of the Worthing Islamic Society, said: "We
are very sad someone could do this and we are just hoping it is not a racist
or religious attack.
"We are peace-loving people and we would hope if the people who did it
would come and see us and talk to us we could help them and make them better
people."
Two people, a 17-year-old girl and a 27-year-old man, who are both from Worthing,
have since been arrested on suspicion of arson and have been released on bail.
They have not been charged.
The fire started sometime before 5.30am and it is believed, by members of
Worthing Islamic Society, arsonists broke into the mosque through a back door.
Once inside, they started a fire in a ground floor room, which is used as
an over-flow prayer room, by setting light to a gas pipe they had cut. They
spread white spirit on the floor and attempted to make a bonfire of a mattress
and some chairs.The mosque was badly smoke damaged.
This was the second attack on the mosque in just eight weeks - previously
people broke in and damaged equipment.
The fire was discovered by Dr Mahmoud Sarhan and another doctor, who had gone
to the mosque for early morning prayers.
Dr Sarhan, an eye specialist at Worthing Hospital, said: "We looked under
the doors at the front of the mosque and could see and smell the smoke. We
went inside and opened the windows upstairs, before calling the fire brigade.
"We noticed the back door was broken. We thought it was an accident at
first but now we are beginning to think otherwise. We want to live in harmony
and peacefully in the society."
Firefighters from Worthing, the police and a forensic scientist were called
to investigate the fire. And more than 150 Muslims had to gather outside behind
the mosque for their 1pm prayers.
Mustafa Yunis, of Chesswood Road, said in a letter to the Worthing Herald:
"We Muslims of Worthing feel abused, victimised and terrorised. Islamaphobia
is real and it exists.
"We remove our shoes before we enter our mosque out of respect. Before
we even take a seat, we make a prayer for our mosque. Where we place our hands
in prostration - they dowsed with petrol. Where we raise our hands to the
heavens - they struck their match.
"After our Friday prayer, a community leader got up to make a short speech.
He seemed baffled. Baffled as to why such an evil, calculated act would occur
to a community, which has contributed so much to Worthing's society."
Yacoub Purches said: "I am disappointed but I am relieved the fire hasn't
destroyed the place. It is now going to cost us more money to do the repairs
and this is hard to come by."
Security is now going to be stepped up at the mosque to stop this from happening
again.
The mayor of Worthing, Jack Saheid, who attends the mosque, revealed worshippers
have now set up a fund to pay for the repairs.
Mr Saheid, pictured at prayers above, said: "It really was an atrocious
incident. All places of worship are houses of God and, quite frankly, these
people who go and smash up places of worship should be severely dealt with
by the courts. I don't think this was a racist attack.
"The Muslim community in Worthing is very peaceful and they were terribly
shocked by the fire. I would like to thank the police and the fire brigade
for their help and prompt action."
Worthing MPs Peter Bottomley and Tim Loughton echoed the anger and shock at
the attack and called for CCTV cameras to protect the mosque.