Mankato Mosque Says Police Report Minimizing Attempted Arson Attack
The Islamic Center of Mankato reported the alleged attempted arson on Sunday, prompting members to urge the public’s help in identifying the suspect. However, Mankato police maintain that the incident posed no threat to the mosque and that it is not under investigation, Sahan Journal reported on Tuesday.
In a Tuesday morning statement, Paul David, a spokesperson for the Mankato Department of Public Safety, said, “Authorities have no reason to believe that the Islamic Center was targeted.”
The events in question were captured on a surveillance video, which shows a man on a bicycle stopping near the mosque’s parking lot. According to Abdi Sabrie, co-founder and board member of the mosque, the man was observed behaving suspiciously as worshippers gathered for midday prayer.
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“The video shows the man lighting something and holding it to leaves and brush on a wall by the Islamic Center,” Sabrie said, explaining that mosque attendees chased the man away.
Police, however, offered a different account, stating that the individual was lighting bottle rockets, which launched harmlessly into the air without causing any damage.
Sabrie, who was not present during the incident, expressed concerns over what he views as a minimization of the event by police. “Why would you come with a firecracker to a place with dry leaves, near the Islamic Center? It doesn’t make sense,” he said, adding that he found the police response more concerning than the individual’s actions.
The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) voiced similar concerns, describing the incident as part of a troubling trend. “We are deeply troubled by this incident and call for a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrator to justice,” said CAIR-Minnesota spokesperson Jaylani Hussein in a statement Monday, noting that this is the 40th attack on a mosque in Minnesota over the past three years. In 2023, one attack caused severe fire damage to a mosque in St. Paul.
Sabrie also linked the event to increased anti-Muslim sentiments he believes have emerged since the re-election of Donald Trump.
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He recalled similar incidents, including a 2016 case where a man attempted to destroy the Islamic Center’s sign and a 2021 act of vandalism when slurs were spray-painted on a member’s car.
“It seems like 2016 all over again,” Sabrie said, noting that the mosque plans to enhance security with additional surveillance cameras and is encouraging members to remain vigilant.
Source: Agencies
