In these difficult times, with ongoing tensions across the UK and a disturbing rise in hate crime and racism, Luton Council of Faiths said in a statement that it is shocked and deeply saddened by the deliberate arson attack on Peacehaven Mosque in East Sussex. This appalling act, being investigated as a hate crime, is another reminder of the urgent need to stand against violence, prejudice, and extremism in all its forms.
The statement said, “We unequivocally condemn this horrific attack and extend our heartfelt sympathy, solidarity, and support to the Muslim community of Peacehaven and to Muslims across the United Kingdom. Any attack on a place of worship is an attack on us all and undermines the values of peace, dignity, and respect that bind our diverse communities together. Hatred targeting any community because of its faith or belief is a scourge that must never be tolerated.”
The rise in Islamophobia and wider racist violence should concern us all, and calls on every one of us to redouble our efforts to challenge ignorance, prejudice, and division. It is also vital to remember that crimes committed by individuals are the responsibility of those individuals alone. They must be dealt with firmly through the law and must never be used as a pretext to blame or stigmatise whole communities. Collective punishment or suspicion has no place in a just society. Fairness is at the core of British values, alongside justice, respect, tolerance, and the rule of law, and these principles must guide us all in times of trial.
The LCoF statement said, “Leaders from all traditions in Luton, stand firmly together and will continue to safeguard our places of worship, strengthen unity, and ensure that Luton remains a town where all faiths and communities can live in peace, dignity, and mutual respect.
Only last week on 27th Sep’25, our Peace Walk brought people of all faiths and none together to demonstrate unity, solidarity, and shared commitment to peace. That walk symbolised the spirit of Luton - a community that stands shoulder to shoulder in the face of hate and refuses to be divided. The importance of such efforts is clearer now than ever. Our thoughts and prayers are with the leadership of Peacehaven Mosque, the Muslim community in the region, and all those distressed by this incident.”
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
On behalf of Churches Together in Luton, Peter Adams said in a statement, “As Christian leaders in Luton we join with our colleagues and friends of all faiths in Luton in condemning the attack this weekend on the mosque in Peacehaven, Sussex. We endorse totally the statement by Luton Council of Faiths. Importantly we join with our colleagues at this time in committing ourselves to stand against all violence, prejudice and extremism however it is expressed. We cannot allow the conflict of recent days to escalate further.” https://lutonchurchestogether.org.uk/lcof-ctl-response-to-attack-on-peacehaven-mosque-on-saturday-4th-october-2025/
————————————————————————————————————————————————————On behalf of Luton Council of Mosques Sujel Miah said, “There are deep concern about the escalating wave of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred sweeping across the country. Over the last six weeks alone, British Muslims, their places of worship, and even burial grounds have faced multiple attacks including a Mosque set on fire over the weekend in Peacehaven: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2dglp43xmo.amp This is not a series of isolated incidents, it is a clear and escalating pattern of hate and terror directed towards British Muslims. The constant demonising, maligning, and stereotyping of Muslims by mainstream politicians, sections of the media, the far right and unchecked hate online has poisoned public discourse and emboldened far right extremists and racists.”
It has been painfully observed that when a Mosque is attacked, it is not described as “terrorism”- instead, it is “downgraded” to a hate crime. The government must therefore;
launch a comprehensive national strategy to tackle Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred, one that directly addresses hate in politics, media, and online spaces.
Ensure equal treatment and protection for all faith communities under threat, including rapid security support for places of worship.
Hold those in positions of influence online and offline accountable when they spread fear, hate and division.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Responding to these concerns, Rachel Hopkins MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Luton South & South Bedfordshire said, “I share your deep concerns, and I have now raised this matter at the highest level with both the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary’s Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS’s), who will be taking this forward. I have also sent this correspondence to the Minister for Security, Dan Jarvis MP, as his brief covers the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme within the Home Office.
I would like to express how appalled I am at the horrific attacks we have seen over the last few days, both at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester and Peacehaven Community Mosque in East Sussex. Every person has the right to worship their faith free from fear and one person injured or one life lost is too many.
I also note that following yesterday’s attack on Peacehaven Mosque, Sussex Police have confirmed an increased police presence at the scene, as well as additional patrols carried out at other places of worship across Sussex. Locally, I know that Bedfordshire Police are providing enhanced and visible protection to vulnerable places of worship across our community.
I share your sentiments regarding the importance of standing together in complete solidarity in the face of these awful attacks, and I am clear that there is absolutely no place for hate in our communities.
These views are shared by our Prime Minister and Home Secretary, who both expressed how appalled they are by this attack and have urged for unity in the face of this terrible incident. I share our Home Secretary’s view that our country’s greatest strength has been its ability to build one nation from many communities. She has also been clear that attacks against Britain’s Muslims are attacks against all Britons and this country itself.
I assure you that I will keep you up to date on responses to your correspondence, as this is a hugely important issue. In Luton, we are fortunate to have open lines of communication between faith leaders, community organisations and the police and local authorities, and it is important we maintain this as we work together to navigate these difficult times for our communities.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Sarah Owen, Member of Parliament for Luton North and Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee said, “. I share the horror at the arson attack in Peacehaven. I know the impact of the attack in Peacehaven will have been felt across the UK’s Muslim communities, including here in Luton. Coming as it did just days after the horrific killings at Manchester synagogue, I know this is also a time to acknowledge the fear and anxiety being felt by Jewish and Muslim communities in Luton and across the UK.
I know too that Luton’s faith communities stand united in fighting against this kind of hate, division and violence. It was good to see so many join the Peace Walk last weekend, and it is in this spirit that we must continue to build up the good work being done by the Luton’s Council of Mosques, Council of Faiths and Churches Together.
I continue to work, both publicly and privately, with Ministers at the highest level on ensuring that more is done to see faith communities protected. Bedfordshire Police are providing enhanced and visible protection for places of worship across the town, and the Luton Council is supporting Council of Faiths to continue their important work. I spoke with one of the police officers doing their patrol at Hockwell Ring Mosque on Saturday and spoke about the understandable concerns from the community.
Islamophobia and antisemitism stem from the same core causes: division, hatred, violence and intolerance. I know these are not values that have any place in Luton or the UK. We can, and must, tackle both with the same sense of urgency and importance. No one should feel fear because of their religion or be targeted in a place of worship.
Be assured that I continue to take this issue extremely seriously, and will be pushing for more action from the government when Parliament returns next week.”
————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Following the rise in antisemitism and especially the horrific attack on a Manchester Synagogue on 2nd Oct’25, and along with ever-increasing anti-Muslim hostility including an arson attack on Peacehaven Mosque in East Sussex on Saturday 4th Oct’25, the Together Coalition called for a national moment of solidarity on 9th Oct’25. This was worked on with Bishop Toby Howarth and with the support of the Archbishop of York.
