U.S. Mosques: the Canary in the Mine
U.S. Mosques: the Canary in the Mine
Sheila Musaji
updated 2-11-2007
Mosques in the U.S. are becoming dangerous places. Type MOSQUE in The American Muslim site search engine and you will turn up 234 entries. I can’t help but think that the violent rhetoric of conservative and religious commentators in America has at least something to do with what is going on. When people say that Arabs are sub-human or that Muslim leaders should be killed and Muslims all converted to Christianity, it cannot help but have some effect over time. Ignorance and racism are a lot more powerful, and widespread than people realize. Add to this already volatile mix, a little bit of fear (talk about mosques needing surveillance, or being hotbeds of extremism), and almost anything can happen. Much of this violence is the result of religiously motivated “reprisals” against the Muslim community in general for acts committed by particular individuals or organizations.
According to the most recent CAIR Report on hate crimes there was a 29% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2005. “Overall, nine states and the District of Columbia accounted for almost 79 percent of all civil rights complaints to CAIR in 2005. These ten states are (in descending order): California (19%), Illinois (13%), New York (9%), Texas (8%), Virginia (7%), Florida (6%), District of Columbia (5%), Maryland (4%), Ohio (4%) and New Jersey (4%).”
This tallies pretty well with the information we have collected about attacks on mosques specifically. It would seem that mosques may be the canary in the mine to warn us of the general attitudes towards Islam and Muslims in the U.S.
Mosques in U.S. That Have Experienced Violent, Prejudiced, or Racist Incidents
Sheila Musaji
updated 2-8-2007
Mosques in the U.S. are becoming dangerous places. Type MOSQUE in The American Muslim site search engine and you will turn up 234 entries. I can’t help but think that the violent rhetoric of conservative and religious commentators in America has to be counted as at least partially responsible for what is going on. When people say that Arabs are sub-human or that Muslim leaders should be killed and Muslims all converted to Christianity, it cannot help but have some effect over time. Ignorance and racism are a lot more powerful than people realize. throw in a bit of fear (talk about mosques needing surveillance, or being hotbeds of extremism), and even the most evolved of us may fall prey. Much of this violence is the result of religiously motivated reprisals against the Muslim community in general for acts committed by particular individuals or organizations.
According to the most recent CAIR Report on hate crimes there was a 29% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes in 2005. “Overall, nine states and the District of Columbia accounted for almost 79 percent of all civil rights complaints to CAIR in 2005. These ten states are (in descending order): California (19%), Illinois (13%), New York (9%), Texas (8%), Virginia (7%), Florida (6%), District of Columbia (5%), Maryland (4%), Ohio (4%) and New Jersey (4%).”
We have been collecting information about mosque incidents for some time, and here is our (partial) list. If you know about other incidents, please contact us with the information.
- Hugh Fitzgerald Islamophobic article “Tips For Visiting a Mosque” August 2006
- ACLU seeks answers about FBI mosque surveillance
- Mosques are struggling
- Response to “Are American Mosques Promoting Hate Ideology?”, Junaid Afeef
- Boeing, Bell Helicopter Asked to Pull “Mosque Attack” Ad (Islamophobia)
- U.S. Muslims Must Tackle Questions of Mosque and State Hasan Zillur Rahim
- Mosque Guidelines to Fight Terrorism
- Rep. Peter King says Mosque leaders are the enemy amongst us 2/04
- Online petition to close mosques and deport Muslims 2/04
- FBI to count local Muslims and mosques 2/03
- Michael Hurd Statement: Bomb the Mosques
MOSQUES IN THE U.S. THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED VIOLENT OR RACIST INCIDENTS OR BEEN VANDALIZED, BURNED, SHOT AT ...
Arizona
- Anti Muslim Posters posted at mosque June 2006,
- Glendale mosque burned December 2004
California
- Shots fired into East Bay Mosque January 2007
- Bin Laden effigy hung outside Culver City Mosque September 2006
- Southern Calif. Mosque vandalized second time August 2006
- Southern California Mosque vandalized August 2006
- Milpitas Mosque vandalized again June 2006
- front door shattered at Milpitas mosque May 2006
- threatening flyer left at Pomona mosque February 2006
- suspicious gas released in Sacramento mosque February 2006
- mosque vandalized September 2005
- Adelanto mosque arson June 2005
- San Luis Obispo mosque vandalized September 2003
- Milpitas mosque site vandalized June 2002
- Lomita mosque vandalized December 2001
- Pigs blood thrown at San Francisco mosque September 2001
- Conejo Valley mosque vandalized June 2001
- Yuba City mosque burned September 1994
Colorado
- Fort Collins mosque vandalized April 2005
- Denver mosque receives threats May 2004
- plot to bomb Aurora mosque May 1999
- Fort Collins mosque vandalized January 1998
- Radio station employees harrass Denver mosque attendees 1996
Connecticut
- Bridgeport mosque vandalized September 2001
D.C.
- Suspicious fire at Masjidash Shura December 2006
- Muslim Community Center sign vandalized September 2005
Florida
- VIDEO: Witness to Florida Mosque Shooting speaks 2006
- Sniper Shooting at Florida Mosque during prayers September 2006
- Mosque defacement in Florida part of ongoing spree April 2006
- Broward County mosque vandalized April 2006
- Boca Raton mosque vandalized February 2005
- two mosques vandalized May 2004
- man drives truck into mosque March 2002
- Florida doctor arrested in mosque attack plot 2002
- Lake County mosque vandalized September 2001
- Tallahassee mosque vandalized September 2001
Georgia
- Augusta mosque vandalized September 2001
- Savanna mosque burned August 2003
- Clarkson mosque vandalized September 1995
Hawaii
- anti-Muslim leaflets left at mosque October 2002
Idaho
- mosque vandalized October 2002
Illinois
- Schaumburg mosque ransacked August 2006
- Chicago mosque attacked March 2003
- Villa Park mosque vandalized March 1995
- 300 march on Bridgeview mosque September 2001
- arson at Arab American Center in Chicago November 2001
- Villa Park mosque vandalized 1995
Indiana
- Michigan City Mosque vandalized July 2006
- Man found repelling from Bloomington mosque January 2006
- Bloomington mosque vandalized July 2005
- Evansville mosque vandalized September 2001
- Bloomington mosque vandalized February 1998
Kentucky
- Lexington mosque vandalized September 2001
Louisiana
- Muslim school vandalized March 2006
- Arabi mosque vandalized September 2001
Maine
- Pig’s head thrown into mosque during prayers July 2006
Maryland
- shots fired into Mosque April 2006
- mosque vandalized September 2005
- cross burned in front of mosque July 2005
- Imam’s wife assaulted at mosque April 2004
Massachusetts
- Islamophobic objections to Boston mosque expansion and [2] July 2006
- Massachussets Governor Suggests Wiretapping Mosques http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=283&theType=AA
- Springfield mosque burned down December 2004
Michigan
- Four mosques in Detroit vandalized in past month January 2007
- Hate graffiti sprayed on Islamic Center of Detroit 2007
- Islamic Organization of North America Imam and mosque threatened 2007
- Islamophobic objections to Warren mosque May 2006
- Mosque Plan Exposes Islamophobia in Warren
- Bangladeshi mosque vandalized March 2006
- mosque vandalized February 2006
- Defendant Pleads Guilty to Threatening Members of Detroit Mosque http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2005/November/05_crt_605.html
- mosque vandalized September 2005
- cars vandalized in parking lot of Saginaw mosque November 2001
- Flint mosque vandalized October 1995
Minnesota
- Minneapolis Mosque arson August 2006
- Minneapolis mosque burned March 1999
Mississippi
- Starkville mosque vandalized September 2001
Missouri
- Ballwin mosque vandalized June 2004
Nebraska
- Lincoln mosque vandalized twice September 2005
- voice mail threat to mosque November 2004
Nevada
- man beaten outside Reno mosque January 2005
New Jersey
- Fire at Newark mosque January 2007
- Toms River mosque vandalized January 2006
- Bank closes New Jersey mosques account February 2005
New York
- mosque vandalized August 2006
- mosque vandalized September 2005
- mosque vandalized April 2004
North Dakota
- feces smeared on mosque October 2004
Ohio
- new threats at Ohio mosque July 2006
- mosque bombed and [2] December 2005
- Columbus mosque vandalized December 2001
- shots fired at Toledo mosque September 2001
- man drives car into Parma mosque September 2001
Oregon
- Portland mosque threatened September 2001
Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania mosque received threatening letters October 2006
- FBI raid on Pittsburgh mosque July 2006
- Bigots don’t want to vote in Pennsylvania mosqe November 2005
- shooting in mosque parking lot November 2005
- Pennsylvania Man Charged in Mosque Shooting http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=10190 November 2005
South Carolina`
- Charleston mosque vandalized September 2001
- Greenville mosque burned October 1995
Tennessee
- Bullet Ridden Qur’an Thrown at Tenn. Mosque July 2006
- Nashville mosque bombed February 2006
- Memphis mosque shooting June 2000
Texas
- Residents use pig races to deter building of mosque December 2006
- Lubbock mosque vandalized October 2006
- San Antonio mosque vandalized May 2006
- anti-Muslim sign posted on Houston Mosque February 2006
- Austin mosque vandalized again January 2006
- Irving mosque vandalized September 2005
- El Paso mosque firebombed September 2004
- Denton mosque firebombed September 2004
- Champion mosque vandalized June 2004
- shots fired at Denton mosque April 2004
- Lubbock mosque vandalized March 2004
- Houston mosque fire was arson February 2004
- shots fired at Irving mosque November 2001
- Austin mosque firebombed September 2001
- Irving mosque vandalized September 2001
Virginia
- Islamophobic objections to Quantico Military Mosque December 2006
- mosque vandalized January 2006
- Sterling mosque vandalized November 2003
- James City mosque threatened September 2001
- Sterling mosque vandalized September 2001
- Norfolk mosque vandalized September 2001
- Tidewater mosque vandalized September 2001
Washington
- Kennewick mosque vandalized January 2007
Patrick Cunningham Pleads Guilty in Attempted Arson at Washington Mosque 2002
- Mount Lake Terrace mosque vandalized November 2001
- Lynwood mosque threatened September 2001
- Arsonists attempt to burn Idriss mosque June 2001
Mosques in other countries that have experienced racist or violent incidents
2007
- Muslims Challenge Christians Use of Cordoba Mosque http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/january/05/muslim_world_news/muslims_challenge_christians_use_of_cordoba_mosque.html
2006
- Israel Destroyed 800 Year Old Mosque in Beit Hanoun http://www.islamonline.com/cgi-bin/news_service/world_full_story.asp?service_id=2594
- Man Admits to Firebombing Mosque in Britain http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/display.var.981720.0.man_admits_firebombing_mosque.php
- French Mosque Vandalized With Blood and Pig’s Head http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20635306-5003402,00.html
- Thugs Break Into Mosque, Attack Imam & 3 Other Men in Britain http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/226/226178_thugs_in_mosque_attack.html
- Imam Assaulted at Mosque in Scotland http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6051180.stm
- Boy Stabbed and Mosque Stoned in Britain http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=55&ArticleID=1800484
- Pigs Head Left at South Wales Mosque http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/5392154.stm
- Shooting at Perth, Australia Mosque http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/01/asia/AS_GEN_Australia_Mosque_Shooting.php
- Drive by shooting at Australian mosque http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/celebrate-ellisons-oath-_b_37790.html
- Ramadan Arson at Canadian Islamic School http://ottsun.canoe.ca/News/OttawaAndRegion/2006/09/27/1905276-sun.html
- Canadian Mosque Vandalized http://www.towncrieronline.ca/main/main.php?direction=viewstory&storyid=5744&rootcatid=21&rootsubcatid=%23rootsubcatid
- Canadian Mosque Vandalized With Slurs, Nazi Swastikas http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/canadian_mosque_vandalized_with_slurs_nazi_swastikas/
- Imam Attacked Near Mosque in UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/5165676.stm
- Russian Mosque Destroyed in Terror Attack http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/07/04/mosqueblast.shtml
- Paris Mosque Plastered With Racist Graffiti http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/734168.html
- Muslims Demand Right to Pray in Ancient Mosques in India http://news.monstersandcritics.com/india/article_1173614.php/Muslims_demand_right_to_pray_in_ancient_mosques
- Toronto Mosque Vandalized http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2007/01/08/3235296-sun.html
- Quebec, Canada Mosque Defaced http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=3dc1a777-6f3c-491a-abf1-b07bd73b2c7a
- War Crime in a Mosque in Iraq http://www.counterpunch.org/patrick03272006.html
- U.S. Troops Accused of Mosque Massacre http://www.news.com.au/story/print/0,10119,18616311,00.html
- Montreal, Canada Mosque Vandalized for Fourth Time http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/story/qc-mosque-060322.html
- Hindu Extremists Destroy Mosque in Goa http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200603041927.htm
- Pig’s head Impaled on Railing of Mosque in Britain http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/display.var.697383.0.pigs_head_impaled_on_railing_in_racist_attack_at_mosque.php
- Pentagon Controlled Iraq National Guard Implicated in Mosque Bombings in Iraq http://kurtnimmo.com/?p=244
- Palestinian Mosque Vandalized Again (Islamophobia) http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3217966,00.html
- Age Restrictions on Muslim Entry to Al Aqsa Mosque Third Week In a Row http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395430566&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
- Muslims Protest Mosque Demolition Order in Philippines http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2006/02/14/muslims.protest.order.to.demolish.mosque.html
- Jewish Settlers Vandalize Mosque in West Bank http://www.islamonline.org/English/News/2006-02/12/article03.shtml
- Two Quebec Mosques Vandalized http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=b435271d-7d61-498e-8813-f87ea79940cc
- Two Montreal Mosques Vandalized (Islamophobia) http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060209/Montreal_mosques_060209/20060209?hub=Canada
- British Mosque Set on Fire 1/7 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/4590406.stm
- Israeli’s Assault Ambassador of Venezuela at al Aqsa Mosque http://www.aljazeerah.info/News%20archives/2006%20News%20Archives/March/12n/Israeli%20Police%20Assaults%20Venezuelans%20Ambassador%20at%20AlAqsa%20Mosque.htm
- Missile Mosque Sculpture Pulled From German Art Exhibit http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=27607&name=‘Missile’+mosque+sculpture+pulled+from+art+show
2005
- British mosque Burned http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/4261656.stm
- Pig’s Head Thrown Into Mosque in Jaffa by Jewish Extremists http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D509DA89-6A57-48A2-8F5E-E118637DDDFD.htm
- Jewish Extremists Plot to Fire Missile at al Aqsa Mosque http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B29A39AD-7B2B-4007-A34B-1CFAE7C8EAA3.htm
- Russian Mosque Burned http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/12/02/mosqueburnt.shtml
2004
- Molotov Cocktail Thrown at Mosque in Germany http://www.why-war.com/news/2004/11/19/mosqueat.html
- Mosque Attacked in Gronningen, Netherlands http://rocr.xepher.net/weblog/archives/000482.html
- Molotov Cocktail Thrown at Mosque in Holland http://www.gebladerte.nl/30105v01.htm
- Pig’s Head Left at Mosque in Amsterdam, Holland http://www.gebladerte.nl/30105v01.htm
- lWinnipeg Mosque Threatened, Vandalized (Islamophobia) http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1301&theType=NR
- Australian Mosque Vandalized (Islamophobia) http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2004/June/theworld_June465.xml§ion=theworld
- Ontario Mosque Arson http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/news/news.php?article=7110
- Two Mosques Burned in France http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3539311.stm
2003
- New Delhi India Mosque Burned http://www.dawn.com/2003/09/27/top18.htm
- Reading Mosque Attacked in Britain http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/index/press.php?pr=165
2002
- Australian Mosque Firebombed http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/17/1034561265779.html
2001
- Further Attacks on Mosques in Australia Threatened http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/17/1034561262558.html
- Mosques Firebombed in Britain http://www.muslimnews.co.uk/paper/index.php?article=408
- Belfast, Ireland Mosque Attacked http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1544765.stm
- Brisbane, Australia Mosque Attacked With Molotov Cocktails http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1544481.stm
- Jewish Extremists Plot to Blow Up Mosques on Temple Mount http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1118459.stm
2000
- Bomb Threat to B.C. Canada Mosque http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=A48_0_2_0_M
- B.C. Mosque Burned http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=339&theType=NR
1994
Mosque burned in Macedonia http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/newsstories/mosque_burned_in_macedonia/
1982
Jewish Extremist Alan Harry Goodman Kills Two at al Aqsa Mosque http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/7391/edition_id/139/format/html/displaystory.html
1981
Israeli Troops Fire on al Aqsa Mosque http://www.jerusalemites.org/crimes/crimes_against_islam/3.htm
1969
Christian Extremist Dennis Michael Rohan Sets Fire to al Aqsa Mosque http://www.answers.com/topic/michael-dennis-rohan