Man held over UK mosque, gurdwara arson attacks

London, June 7 

A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson attacks on a mosque and a Sikh temple in the English city of Leeds, the police, which are probing the incidents as hate crime, said on Thursday.

  Jamia Masjid Abu Huraira Mosque in Hardy Street, Beeston, was attacked along with Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Gurdwara in Lady Pit Lane on Wednesday. The main door of the mosque in the City Centre was set afire at about 3.45 am (local time). Minutes later, the door of the gurdwara was also set ablaze. 

The man, who was not named, was arrested on Wednesday night. He remains in police custody, The Guardian reported. “We are continuing to liaise with our colleagues in the local neighbourhood policing team who are maintaining an increased presence in the area and having  regular contact with key representatives from the communities affected to keep them updated,” said detective Inspector Richard Holmes, Leeds District CID. 

Leeds’ Racial Justice Network criticised the lack of national media coverage of the incident, saying it revealed “a lack of concern for Muslim and Sikh lives and reminds us that the terrorist label (and public outrage) is only reserved for black and brown people.

“These attacks follow on from racist and fascist … marches in Leeds and Manchester at the weekend and reflect a resurgence of far-right racism. Whilst we believe that the far right are still in the minority, there is a real need for the solidification and growth of anti-racist movements.” — PTI