Video of Mosque Vandalism Prompts Renewed Probe
The recent act of vandalism at the Islamic Society of Simi Valley has sparked concern within the faith community, prompting authorities to take a fresh look at the case.
The incident was caught on camera and the footage was later shared by the Greater Los Angeles office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a national civil liberties and advocacy organization. The video has ignited calls for justice and heightened security measures.
CAIR officials said the incident should be investigated as a hate crime, but local police say it’s too soon to tell if the incident was motivated by hate.
In the footage captured on a security camera, a man, who police say is about 50 or 60 years old, is seen damaging the sign outside the Islamic Society’s mosque. He uses a tool to break off the letters I, S, L and A from the sign. What’s left reads “MIC SOCIETY of Simi Valley.”
As he was pulling off the letters, the man appeared to wave casually at a passing driver.
The incident occurred at 6:30 p.m. June 24 but wasn’t reported to authorities until July 7, Simi Valley police Detective Sgt. Patrick Zayicek said Wednesday.
Zayicek said police launched a vandalism investigation, but closed it fairly quickly and filed an incident report instead, saying “the victim was not desirous of prosecution.”
But after the video was released and Islamic Society leaders expressed concern over the case’s closure, authorities decided to revisit the matter.
“We’re more than happy to reactivate the case,” Zayicek said, adding that the department reached out to the society and the case is active again.
As of Thursday afternoon, no suspect had been identified and no one was arrested, Zayicek said.
In a phone interview with the Acorn on Wednesday, Nashat Mshiael, president of the Islamic Society of Simi Valley, said there apparently was a misunderstanding with police.
When mosque leaders learned that the case had been closed, they reached out to the officer who filed the incident report and asked why the investigation had ended.
“Obviously we do want that individual who made that vandalism to be identified and brought to justice,” Mshiael said. “We want to make sure that he has no intention in the future to do further damage to our facility or even harm members of our community.”
The delay in reporting the incident to SVPD was due to technical difficulties with the video, he said.
Islamic Society leaders said they want police to ensure that residents who go to the mosque are safe and can pray and enjoy fellowship there without looking over their shoulder.
“This is a serious incident,” Mshiael said. “But it doesn’t reflect in any way or shape our stand about the City of Simi Valley. On the contrary, we have felt welcome in the city.
“We appreciate Simi, the people of Simi Valley and our neighbors,” he continued. “It’s a fringe element of the society that’s determined to be a bad element.”
Mshiael said he gave the video of the incident to CAIR because he wanted to get its advice on what the mosque should do.
“Their sole purpose is to defend Muslim rights in the U.S.,” he said.
Based on what can be seen in the footage, Mshiael said the vandal clearly wanted to cause damage.
“He knew he was doing something wrong,” Mshiael said. “What probably stopped him is a member of the society pulled in as he was standing by the sign.”
This is not the first time the Islamic Society was the target of vandals. In one incident several years ago, windows were broken and the office was trashed, Mshiael said.
The society’s sign was damaged before, too, when a truck ran into it. Mshiael said he’s unsure if it was intentional or accidental.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said the council was saddened to learn that another Southern California mosque had been vandalized.
“Our Muslim brothers and sisters deserve to feel safe and welcome in our neighborhoods, especially at our places of worship, and actions like these send a clear message of intolerance,” Ayloush wrote. “We must continue to unite to promote mutual understanding and respect and protect our places of worship.”
Ayloush said the incident is more than just an act of vandalism and called on police to investigate it as a possible hate crime.
“We stand with the ISSV community and look forward to the suspect being apprehended.”
Enjy El-Kadi, a spokesperson in CAIR-LA’s Anaheim office, reiterated the council’s belief that this incident needs to be treated more seriously.
“(We) call for the police to properly investigate this incident as a hate crime given that the perpetrator seems to have directly and purposefully targeted the Islamic Center,” she said.
SVPD Chief Steve Shorts said Wednesday that detectives were working to identify a suspect. As of that day, no evidence had been gathered to indicate that the incident was fueled by hate.
“All the elements and what occurred, at this time, dictate that it’s misdemeanor vandalism,” he said. “It’s an intentional act—the question is what is the motivation.”
“We don’t know that it’s biased,” Shorts said.
Ayloush urged religious institutions of all faiths to take extra security precautions by using advice offered in CAIR’s booklet, “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety.”
Individuals who may have information about the incident should call Detective Chris Lam at (805) 583-6959.
Source: simivalleyacorn.com
