Hate crime? Mosque, Sikh temple in UK set on fire at the same time

The main door of the mosque in south of the city centre had been set on fire at about 3.45 am

International News: A popular Gurdwara and a Mosque were set on fire in arson attacks at the same time in English city of Leeds with the police treating them as hate crimes, according to media report today.

The Jamia Masjid Abu Huraira Mosque in Hardy Street, Beeston, was attacked, along with the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Gurdwara in Lady Pit Lane, the BBC reported.

The main door of the mosque in south of the city centre had been set on fire at about 3.45 am (local time) on Tuesday. A few minutes later, the door of the Gurdwara was also set on fire, the report said.

The Sikh Press Association said a bottle filled with petrol had been set alight at the doorstep of the Gurdwara, triggering a smoke alarm. Residents called the fire brigade and the police and the fire was quickly dealt with, they said.

Detective Inspector Richard Holmes, of Leeds District CID, said: "We are treating both these incidents as linked given the closeness of the locations and the similar times that they have occurred."

"While our investigation is still at a relatively early stage, we do believe these premises have been specifically targeted as places of worship and we are treating both incidents as arsons and hate crimes."

"We are currently carrying out extensive enquiries, including checks on CCTV in both areas, and we would like to hear from anyone who has witnessed any suspicious activity or seen any person or vehicles in the areas around the time these incidents have occurred."

"Clearly we will always treat incidents of this nature very seriously and will be doing everything we can to identify those responsible and bring them to justice," he added.

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