LONDON: Police in the UK are hunting a masked man who carried out an arson attack on the family home of an imam in northern England.
Hassan Patel, principal for Islamic education at the Taiyabah Masjid in Bolton, released a security camera video showing the terrifying moment the front of his house was covered in flames. A masked man is seen starting a fire outside the home before smashing a window and spraying flammable liquid inside.
The daylight attack on Wednesday evening came amid a recent surge in far-right unrest in the UK fueled by anti-immigration rhetoric.
Police described the incident as a “targeted attack” and said there was no risk to the wider public. All occupants of the house managed to get out safely with no injuries and the fire was extinguished.
Patel said his family had been left devastated by the attack.
“This was clearly a dangerous and deliberate act that put lives at risk,” he said in a statement. “It has caused significant damage to our house and emotional distress to our family, including our children.”
Patel said police were not yet treating the attack as a hate crime, and questioned why it was not being dealt with in the same manner as other incidents of a similar nature.
“We believe it is essential that all possible motives are thoroughly examined and that no line of inquiry is ruled out prematurely, as it seems the GMP (Greater Manchester Police) has done at present,” he added.
Detective Chief Inspector Mike Sharples said police understood that the attack “may cause concern within the community,” and officers were working to find those responsible.
Government figures released in October 2025 revealed a 19 percent increase in religious hate crimes targeting Muslims. The figures coincided with a rise in support for hard-right political parties, and anti-immigration protests and riots.
More anti-immigrant riots erupted in Belfast, Northern Ireland, this week after a horrifying knife attack led to the arrest of a Sudanese man. Protesters also clashed with police in Southampton last week after a Sikh man was sentenced for the murder of a university student.
