Minneapolis mosque vandalized; police investigating

Police are investigating after a Minneapolis mosque was damaged early Monday morning.

According to Minneapolis police, officers responded to the Umatul Islam Center, located just off Second Avenue South near East Lake Street, at around 6 a.m. on a property damage report. There, officers found two windows and a door had been damaged.

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) posted pictures of the damage on social media and said the vandalism should be investigated as a possible hate crime, especially since it happened during Ramadan.

The organization says the damage to the mosque is estimated at more than $5,000.

“This act of vandalism has caused fear and concern among worshipers, particularly during the month of Ramadan when Muslims gather daily for nightly prayers,” Jaylani Hussein, CAIR-MN’s executive director, said in a statement. “We urge law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for this vandalism at the Ummatul Islam Mosque. In response to this and other incidents nationwide, CAIR-Minnesota has sent a safety alert to mosques across the state, advising them to increase their security protocols as a precaution. This recent attack has heightened our sense of insecurity and we urge all mosques to enhance their security protocols.”

Police said nobody had been arrested as of Tuesday morning and the investigation remains active.