Vandalism at Michigan Mosque Sparks Calls for Investigation, Community Concern
The Islamic Organization of North America (IONA), located on Ryan Road, reported damage to its property on Sunday. Windows were broken, walls defaced, and spray paint left across equipment and the floor of an expansion project, according to mosque president Steve Elturk.
Elturk said the motivation behind the incident remains unclear but urged police to treat it as a potential hate crime. “In the back of my head I’m saying, ‘Is it because of the problems in the Middle East? Is it because of some ignorant people listening to biased media?’” he said. “I have no idea what motivated those who did it,” Detroit News quoted him as saying on Wednesday.
Warren police confirmed detectives are reviewing the case.
Read More:
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) announced a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid, who also leads prayers at IONA, noted that the messages left by vandals were unusual. The word “gay” was spray-painted on construction equipment and “love” on the floor
“It’s odd,” Walid said. “It’s nothing overtly anti-Muslim … At the same time, this mosque has been vandalized before. Its leaders have been threatened.”
IONA, which opened two decades ago despite community opposition at the time, has since maintained largely positive relations with neighbors, Elturk said. “For years we were fine, then all of the sudden this happens out of the blue,” he added.
Read More:
Security cameras had been removed from the construction site for ongoing work but will be reinstalled following the incident, Elturk said.
The cost of the damage is expected to run into the thousands, but leaders emphasized their greater concern lies in what the act represents. “At best, it’s a total disregard for the feelings of the whole Muslim community,” Walid said. “At worst, there was intentional anti-Muslim sentiment.”
Source: Agencies
