SoCal Muslims Targeted in Anti-Islam Incidents

Burned Quran left at Costa Mesa mosque, Muslim holiday display vandalized in Mission Viejo

Jan 01, 2010 - ANAHEIM, CA

The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today reported two incidents of anti-Islam hate targeting the local Muslim community.

An official of the Islamic Educational Center of Orange County in Costa Mesa, Calif., reports that a burned copy of the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, was found at the back entrance of the mosque during Friday prayers. Mosque officials told CAIR that another burned Quran had been left in the same spot one month ago and that the center had been vandalized within the last three weeks.

In Mission Viejo, Calif., vandals defaced the Muslim component of an interfaith holiday display. A piece of paper stuck to the display stated: “No Islamic Lighthouses in the U.S.A.”

The Muslim display included a verse from the Quran encouraging the unity of humankind and promoting righteousness. “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you.” (The Holy Quran, 49:13)

“Americans of all faiths, and leaders of all political persuasions, must repudiate those who would divide our nation along religious or racial lines,’ said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush.

He noted that CAIR recently called on President Obama to address what it called an “alarming level of anti-Islam hate in our nation.” The organization’s letter to President Obama cited a number of recent anti-Muslim incidents, including a spate of vandalism cases at mosques nationwide.

SEE: CAIR Asks President to Address Rise in Anti-Islam Hate

Ayloush said CAIR is urging American Muslim individuals and institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in its “Muslim Community Safety Kit.”

SEE: Muslim Community Safety Kit

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.