Minnesota Muslims Express Concern after Series of Mosque Incidents, Rising Hostile Rhetoric
The latest case occurred Sunday night at Masjid Uthman Islamic Center on Lyndale Avenue North. According to the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), two masked individuals entered the building with support from a third person waiting in a vehicle, the Star Tribune reported on Thursday.
Surveillance footage shows the suspects leaving shortly afterward, and CAIR said nothing inside appeared to be stolen or damaged. Minneapolis police said no arrests have been made.
CAIR linked the incident to several other break-ins and acts of vandalism affecting Islamic centers in recent months. Jaylani Hussein, the group’s Minnesota executive director, said the community was unsettled.
He noted there was no sign of theft but said the individuals walked into the prayer area with their shoes on, which he described as disrespectful. He characterized the episode as “scary”.
Suleiman Adan, CAIR’s deputy executive director, stressed the mosque’s importance to its neighborhood and said in a statement that any intrusion into a sacred space affects the wider community.
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He added that CAIR is coordinating with mosque leaders and law enforcement to support congregants and pursue accountability.
The break-in occurred days after US President Donald Trump said he intends to end immigration protections for Somali refugees in Minnesota, a move legal experts have suggested he cannot enact unilaterally.
Hussein said that public remarks targeting Somali refugees have been followed by a spike in online Islamophobic comments directed at CAIR and other Muslim organizations in the state.
He said this trend was “completely on a new level” and that “the volume is too high.”
Hussein said more than 40 incidents involving vandalism, fires or other disturbances at Minnesota mosques have been recorded in the past three years, causing damage exceeding $3 million.
He argued that Muslim concerns are sometimes overlooked and said visits from senior state officials, including the governor, rarely occur after such events.
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He added that local groups will continue working to improve safety and to ensure emergency responders have the resources and training they need.
Three additional cases were reported at Islamic centers in Minneapolis and Bloomington since September. CAIR said the motives in those incidents are still being investigated.
Police arrested a suspect in two of them, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in October that those events did not appear to be hate crimes and may involve mental health or substance-related issues.
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said the Alhikma break-in investigation has been returned to police for further review.
Source: Agencies
