Police investigating vandalism at mosque in St. Paul
St. Paul police are investigating vandalism at As-Sunnah Islamic Center.
Officers responded to the mosque Friday morning on a report of a window that had been shattered overnight. They found that a security door had been damaged by a rock that had broken the rear pane of glass.
“In St. Paul, we value and care about gathering places of all faiths,” said Alyssa Arcand of St. Paul Police Department. “A crime committed at any of them gets our full attention. We are working to figure out what exactly happened in this case and who is responsible. We will provide an update when available.”
CAIR-MN is calling on authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for the vandalism, noting that this marks the fifth attack on a Minnesota mosque in 2023.
Two Minneapolis mosques were targeted by arsonists in April.
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The organization posted a YouTube video, which shows someone throwing a large rock at the door on surveillance video.
CAIR-MN also released the following statement:
“We urge law enforcement authorities to investigate this incident as a possible hate crime. As worshippers gather for Friday prayers, they will be confronted with the distressing sight of their mosque’s front door smashed.
“This marks the fifth attack on a Minnesota mosque in 2023, contributing to a deeply concerning trend of rising incidents. It is important to note that last month, tragedies were narrowly averted when an arsonist targeted two mosques within two days, causing significant destruction and endangering the lives of over 200 individuals, including 50 children.”
CAIR-Minnesota Executive Director Jaylani Hussein