SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Last night, the Tawhid Islamic Center, a mosque located in Rep. Samakab Hussein’s district (DFL-Saint Paul) was vandalized and sustained arson attacks. Hate crimes and violent attacks on sacred places of worship and refuge have been a growing crisis.
Representative Samakab Hussein issued the following statement,
“I am frustrated that sacred spaces Minnesotans use to practice religion are being violently attacked. We simply cannot normalize these incidents of hate. I urge all Minnesotans to come together in solidarity to combat these atrocious actions and uplift our Muslim community. The freedom of religion is essential to a free and democratic society. It allows people to practice their faith without fear of persecution or discrimination. It also allows people to explore different faiths and to learn about different cultures.
I call on all Americans to join us in condemning these attacks and in defending the freedom of religion. We also call on law enforcement to do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators of these attacks to justice.”
The vandalism of Masjid As Sunnah in Saint Paul comes about three weeks after fires were started inside two south Minneapolis mosques in April. Saint Paul police said the suspect in the Masjid As Sunnah case had not been arrested and that the incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime.
In the Masjid As Sunnah vandalism attack, the criminal threw a chunk of concrete several minutes after the last congregant left morning prayer. Beyond the religious significance of the Mosque, there is an alarming risk for innocent children, women, and patrons to be injured, experience violence, or face life-threatening circumstances. Hate has no home in Minnesota. All Minnesota communities deserve the right to worship with safety and security.
The Tawhid Islamic Center is the sixth mosque to be damaged in the past month. The attacks against mosques are an attack on our shared values of freedom and tolerance. They are also an attack on the very fabric of our society. We must stand together to condemn these barbaric attacks and defend our Muslim communities.
Photo Cutline: Attached are images of the damage to the Mosque and of Rep. Hussein talking to law enforcement and providing comfort to community members