—FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—
ATLANTA, Georgia (July 8, 2010) – The Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) would like to thank Mayor Steve Tumlin, Councilman Grif Chalfant, the Marietta Fire Chief Jackie Gibbs and his department, and the Police Department for their quick action in apprehending the culprit who attacked its mosque and for standing by the Muslim community.
—PREVIOUS PRESS RELEASE—
ATLANTA, Georgia (July 6, 2010) – The Islamic Circle of North America issued a press release today, strongly condemning the arson attack on a mosque in Marietta, GA, a suburb outside Atlanta.
The mosque, which is under the administration of ICNA Atlanta, is located on the busy Powder Spring Street and is a place of worship for many Muslims in and around Marietta, GA.
According to Imam Hafiz Inayatullah, worshippers left after performing the late evening prayer around 11:00 PM, and the building was locked. Imam Inayatullah, received a call from a member of the mosque at around 11:45 PM, informing him that the mosque was on fire. He said that when he got there he saw fire engines trying to control the fire. “It was totally shocking for me to see the mosque on fire. But I thanked God, Almighty, that nobody got injured and it happened after the prayer services were over.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Marietta Fire Marshall Scott Tucker told AJC, “It appears to be a crime, it appears to be an arson.” “There was forcible entry,” Tucker said.
Dr. Zahid Bukhari, President of Islamic Circle of North America, strongly condemned this heinous act and demanded that an investigation be carried out by the local authorities. Dr. Bukhari said, “I hope the perpetrators of such crime will be apprehended and brought to justice.”
Reward Up To $10,000. For information leading to the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for arson. Call the Georgia Arson Control Hotline: 1-800-282-5807
Urgent: Support the Arson Damaged Mosque
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Salam
Are there any ways that people can help out even if they do not live in the area ?
thank you
This is very sad, burning crosses and black churches now mosques. It shows bigotry racism and discrimination is still deeply rooted in many segments of American Society. Muslims need to work hard to educate people because US and Western Media bash Islam and Muslims and people get scared and paranoid. Muslims need to be very active to play the positive role despite hatred.
This has not been the only mosque to have a fire. I go to Sister Clara Muhammad School in queens, NY.
a couple of months ago we had a fire in which the masjid and the school burned.
All i wanna say is that they dont really care about us…
I would like to know how is that any different then Wahabi/Salafi Terrorisits burning the Shia mosques and or Qadyani places of worship in Pakistan and/or Iraq?
We cant have it both the way. If this is a wrong act then its wrong when Wahabi/Salafis burn the mosques, paryer halls of those who they dont agree with or else this person is also justified in doing what he did.
We just cant have it both the ways…!
Acts of vandalism are unacceptable under any circumstances. The fact that Americans, in particular, and the rest of the world, in general, dispise and cannot stand the presence of Muslims in their vicinity is not an argument that can be tolerated. After all, Americans are totally different from Arabs and African Muslims and much more is expected of them as highly civilized people.
I like the way they announce that the perpetrator was caught, but allow the perception that some “islamaphobics”(i.e. local non-muslims, right?) were responsible. They completely fail to mention that the perpetrator was none other than a member of the burned mosque…but allow people to continue to believe that Smyrna Georgia is “a mean place for Muslims to be”.
Thanks for those efforts to build bridges with others, guys.