Southern California mosque set on fire in 'firebomb attack'

[superbeets]

[h=1]Southern California mosque set on fire in 'firebomb attack'[/h]

• The Islamic Society of Coachella Valley in Coachella, California caught fire on Friday afternoon
• People said they heard a 'loud boom' before the fire broke out
• The mosque's imam says he believes the it was 'firebombed'
• Fire is being investigated by the FBI and the mayor called it an 'act of vandalism'
• Person of interest has been detained

A Southern California mosque was damaged in a fire that authorities said was intentionally set.
Flames were reported just after noon Friday at the Islamic Society of Coachella Valley at the 84-600 block of Avenue 49 in Coachella City, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The fire was contained to the small building's front lobby, and no one was injured.
A person of interest has been detained, reports KESQ, but no other details were immediately available.
By late Friday night, the Sheriff's Department released a statement calling the blaze 'an intentional act' and saying it would use all available resources to investigate.

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A Southern California mosque (above) was damaged in a fire that authorities said was intentionally set - a person of interest was detained but no further details have yet been released

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A fire truck puts out the fire at the Islamic Society of Coachella Valley after a fire broke out in the lobby in a suspected case of arson

 

[superbeets]

The Islamic center may have been a target of 'terrorism' say local officials; left picture shows the mosque after the fire, right picture before

A member of the Islamic Society of Coachella Valley stands watch December 12 after a fire burned the lobby of the building - the fire is suspected of being set intentionally with a 'firebomb'



Police investigating mosque fire close to San Bernardino

 

[superbeets]

People at the mosque described hearing a 'loud boom' and seeing flames, said Reymundo Nour, the mosque's acting imam, who was not on the site at the time. He said the mosque had been 'firebombed.'

'The report that I got was someone threw some type of device at the building and firebombed the place,' Nour told KPCC. 'I got a report from people who were inside the mosque saying that they heard a loud boom and that the front area of the mosque erupted in fire, so they quickly called the Fire Department.'

'We see this as a cowardly act of vandalism that we not tolerate in our community,' Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said in a statement. 'Freedom of religion is one of our core values in this country, so any time we witness violence or vandalism directed at a religious institution, it flies in the face of everything we stand for and believe in as Americans.'

Authorities provided no details on how the fire was set or whether the department has any suspects, but local leaders are already speaking out.
'Terrorism should not beget terrorism and that's what this would be if in fact there was someone who threw a device in this mosque with the intention of destroying the mosque or hurting the people inside who were praying,' said Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit, according to CNN.

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Members of the Islamic Society of Coachella Valley pray after the suspected 'firebombing' (above)

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Members of the mosque wait outside a police barrier after their place of worship was possible victim of an act of a hate crime

State fire investigators, the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are assisting in the investigation.
The mosque is about 75 miles from San Bernardino, where last week a couple who federal officials say were inspired by Islamist extremists killed 14 people.
Some Muslims in Southern California and beyond have worried about the potential for reprisals, while leaders of various faiths have called for tolerance.
In a statement released Friday evening, U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz, whose district includes the area in which the mosque is located, called on authorities to investigate the blaze as a possible hate crime.




'Our faith in humanity will not be intimidated,' he said. 'And we stand together against any form [of] violence towards the innocent.'
County and city officials also condemned the attack.
'We see this as a cowardly act of vandalism that we not tolerate in our community,' Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said.
The mosque was hit by gunfire in November 2014 in what authorities investigated as a possible hate crime. No one was injured in the early morning incident.

 

[superbeets]

A lecture from Obama coming soon.

 

[superbeets]

 

[GasMan]

Probably an electrical issue.

This will be labeled domestic terrorism in less than 12 hours.