Police are probing two separate mosque attacks that shook Northamptonshire and Sussex over the weekend.
Attempted Arson at Kettering Mosque
A 43-year-old man from Northampton has been charged after trying to torch a mosque in Kettering. Arif Ali Rafiq, British-born and living on Harlestone Road, faces attempted arson with intent to endanger life.
The attack happened on Sunday afternoon, October 5, when someone tried to set fire to the mosque’s front door. Rafiq is due in Northampton Magistrates’ Court on October 7.
Sussex Man Arrested After Mosque Fire Attempt
Meanwhile, Sussex Police arrested a 46-year-old man on Monday, October 6, in connection with an arson attempt at a mosque in Peacehaven. He is suspected of arson with intent to endanger life.
Both cases are being treated as serious hate crimes as communities reel from these shocking attacks.
