Bluestem Prairie was deeply saddened to see the photos in this tweet by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)-Minnesota, especially since it's midway through Ramadan:
Cair-Minnesota calls for FBI probe for the attack on Moorhead Mosque yesterday night. pic.twitter.com/ngurvZLX1Y
— CAIR MN (@CAIRMN) April 25, 2021
The Fargo Forum reports in Suspect photos released after Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center vandalized with hate speech:
Members of the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center found their mosque vandalized with red spray-painted hate speech, a swastika and a broken window the morning of Sunday, April 25, about halfway through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Red spray-paint words and phrases on the building read “Death to Islam” and "Can’t Vote." Racial epithets and a swastika were painted at the main entrance. The words “Kane Lives” with a poorly painted scorpion and the word Nod were at the back and front of the mosque. Both words are references to the once-popular video game Command and Conquer, where Commander Kane is a charismatic and totalitarian leader of the Brotherhood of Nod.
A window at the back of the mosque was also broken.
“People showed up in the dark and did these things. We are a religion of peace,” said Sajid Ghauri, mosque advisor. “Now, people of all religions are coming out to help us.”
Mosque vice president Hammed Ademola said that about 20 minutes after the last person left the building on Saturday, April 24, surveillance video footage showed a person wearing camouflage clothing, a pulldown mask and dark sunglasses near the mosque, 2215 12th Ave. S in Moorhead. The person called someone on a cell phone and then began spray painting the building.
Moorhead Police on Sunday afternoon released still photos of that suspect captured from the surveillance video.
Six hours after news of the vandalism spread throughout Fargo and Moorhead, a GoFundMe page created by Jihan Muhammed raised $20,446 out of a $20,000 goal with 610 donations.
Another GoFundMe page created by Ademola raised $2,944 from 71 donations within four hours, and had a goal of raising $25,000 for equipping the mosque with better security equipment.
Bluestem Prairie urges readers to give what they can. The report continues:
People representing other religious groups, including Lutheran, Catholic, Presbyterian and Satanism showed up in support around 1 p.m. Sunday at the mosque to help clean up, but mosque leaders moved the cleanup effort to 1 p.m. Monday, April 26.
Police were still gathering evidence at the site Sunday. . . .
Moorhe[a]d Mayor Shelly Carlson, a Lutheran, was horrified when she heard the news and condemned the vandalism while offering support to the mosque.
“Hate has no home in Moorhead, and we stand in solidarity with our Muslim neighbors,” Carlson said. “This is not acceptable in our community.”
Already, area companies are offering to donate equipment, supplies and manpower to clean the building.
The Moorhead Police Department said officers were dispatched to the mosque around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Both Moorhead Police and the Fargo office of the FBI are investigating the crime.
“Word of this crime spread this morning. Moorhead and Fargo residents are sharing overwhelming support for the Islam Center congregation, joining Mayor Shelly Carlson in denouncing the incident,” the City of Moorhead said in a statement.
Moorhead City Manager Dan Mahli said, “I can’t imagine this happening to my place of worship. We stand with Moorhead’s Islamic community. Hatred is not welcome in Moorhead."
On Sunday night, Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney, West Fargo Mayor Bernie Dardis, Horace Mayor Kory Peterson and Dilworth Mayor Chad Olson sent out a joint statement "unequivocally denouncing" the vandalism at the mosque.
"Those criminal actions are completely contradictory to the values of tolerance, respect and acceptance we embrace in all of our communities. The vandalism was a heinous act of hate attacking the center during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan," the joint statement said.
"United, we echo Mayor Shelly Carlson’s message that hate — of any kind, shape or form — does not have a home in this metro. These despicable actions will not be tolerated in any of our cities. While the intent of these senseless crimes is to divide us, our metro has always rallied together in times of despair and we are asking you to do that again," the joint statement said.
Across the state, media from Fox News 9 (Moorhead, Minn. police search for man who spray-painted hate messages on mosque) to the Star Tribune (Moorhead police investigating vandalism, hate messages at mosque) spread the news of the search for the hater who committed the crime.
Via Minnesota Public Radio News, the Associated Press reports Police investigating hate messages spray-painted on Moorhead mosque:
Police and federal authorities are investigating hate messages that were found spray-painted early Sunday on the outside of a mosque in Moorhead, Minn.
Officers were dispatched to the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Community Center at about 5:20 a.m. Sunday. Police said the grafitti was found in several areas on and around the building.
Video surveillance from the building captured images of a suspect wearing a camouflage jacket and dark ski mask.
The two cities are “sharing overwhelming support” for the Islamic congregation, officials said in a release. . . .
The investigation by Moorhead police and Fargo office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is ongoing, authorities said.
City officials said removal of the vandalism will begin on Monday, after investigators have had time to gather evidence at the scene.
We hope the cowardly fellow is arrested and is held accountable for his actions.
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