The FBI’s Birmingham Field Office said it is investigating with the Gadsden Police Department. An incendiary device was deployed at the mosque’s entrance on Wednesday, Nov. 11, the FBI said. The investigation is active and ongoing.

Gadsden police said officers and firefighters responded after a rug outside the building, at 108 S. Ninth St., was burned. Police said they are working with the FBI and other federal partners to review surveillance footage and other evidence.

Surveillance video released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations appears to show a masked person wearing gray clothing and a hoodie approach the mosque at night and throw an object toward the entrance, causing flames to erupt, according to CAIR. The organization said nearby community members noticed the fire and extinguished it before it spread inside. No injuries were reported.

Yousef Al Abbasi, a co-founder of the Gadsden Islamic Society, said the imam’s wife saw the fire from across the street and rushed to the mosque with her husband and child to help put it out.

“It was horrible,” Al Abbasi said. “This is our community center. This is where we worship.”

The FBI is seeking information about the incident, the people involved or any suspicious activity near the mosque before or after the fire. Tips can be submitted through the FBI’s online tip portal.

Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect, announced an arrest or disclosed a motive. Police have not said whether they are investigating the incident as a potential hate crime. CAIR is urging authorities to investigate whether the mosque was targeted because of its religious affiliation.

CAIR’s Alabama chapter is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said the person responsible must be found.

“The person who committed this arson must be identified and arrested,” Mitchell said. “Law enforcement has to take this very, very seriously.”

The Gadsden Islamic Society thanked community members for preventing more extensive damage and called for swift action to identify the person responsible. The organization also urged Alabama’s political leaders to condemn the incident.

CAIR called on Gov.-elect Tommy Tuberville and other political leaders to condemn anti-Muslim rhetoric, which it says contributes to hostility toward Muslim communities. Mitchell said the motive for the incident is unknown. CAIR has previously criticized Tuberville over statements about Islam but has not presented evidence linking those statements to the Gadsden incident. Tuberville’s office has been asked for comment.

Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford condemned the incident and said the city would use available resources to find answers.

“We do not condone violence of any kind in our city,” Ford said. “Every person in Gadsden deserves to feel safe and respected in their community.”

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The incident comes amid broader concerns about threats targeting Muslim places of worship. CAIR reported documenting 17 incidents involving Islamic places of worship in May, June and July 2026, compared with six during the same period in 2025, an increase of 183%. The organization also reported receiving 8,683 complaints involving anti-Muslim bias in 2025, its highest annual total since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.

Investigators have not said whether they have recovered the device or whether the surveillance footage has produced identifying information. Gadsden police said the investigation remains active and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

Source: abc3340.com