A north Minneapolis mosque was damaged by an electrical fire late Sunday, but quick response by firefighters limited the damage to the entryway.
Fire damages north Minneapolis mosque
May 12, 2020 at 1:33AM
A neighbor spotted flames coming from the Tawfiq Islamic Center at 2900 N. Lyndale Av. around midnight and called 911. Crews arrived and extinguished the fire in about 10 minutes, said Minneapolis Assistant Fire Chief Bryan Tyner.
Minneapolis Police Department spokesman John Elder said it was an electrical fire that wasn't suspicious. No one was injured.
Some community activists were concerned the fire may have been the result of a hate crime. The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Minnesota) on Monday called on law enforcement authorities to investigate a possible bias motive for the fire.
"Because of recent hate incidents nationwide and because the blaze occurred at a house of worship, we urge state and federal officials to use their full resources to investigate the cause of this fire to determine whether it was arson and if there was a possible bias motive," said Jaylani Hussein, the executive director of CAIR-Minnesota.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar said her heart goes out to the mosque's members and urged federal officials to fully investigate whether this was an act of arson.
"Hate crimes have been on the rise in our state and it's imperative we address these crimes with urgency," she said.
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