CAIR ASKS FBI TO PROBE PARIS-RELATED VANALISM AGAINST NEBRASKA MOSQUE

Washington, 5 Shafar 1437/17 November 2015 (MINA) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the US, on Monday called on the FBI and local police to investigate vandalism related to the recent terror attacks in Paris targeting a Nebraska mosque as a possible hate crime.

Officials with the Islamic Center in Omaha city told CAIR that someone spray-painted graffiti of an Eiffel Tower peace symbol, which is being used online as a sign of solidarity with those impacted by the attacks, on an outside wall of the mosque.

CAIR said in a statement this is the third time the mosque has been targeted by vandalism in the past four month.

Earlier this month, CAIR made a similar request for a hate crime probe after a vandal was caught on surveillance camera attempting to break a glass door at mosque.

In August, CAIR called on state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate the first act of vandalism as a possible hate crime, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted Kuna as reporting.

“The FBI and local law enforcement authorities should investigate the possible bias motive for this vandalism and allocate whatever resources are necessary to bring the perpetrator to justice,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper.

CAIR has recently responded to vandalism, threats and hate targeting mosques in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Kentucky, Virginia, Nebraska, Tennessee, Ohio, New York, and other states.

Yesterday, CAIR thanked the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for its prompt investigation of phoned terror threats to mosques in Florida and called for hate crime charges to be brought against the alleged perpetrator. CAIR’s news release on the mosque threats also outlined the many condemnations of the Paris attacks by American Muslims. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)