Hate crime probe sought after multiple vandalism incidents on Houston mosque

Advocates are urging for a hate crime probe following multiple acts of vandalism at a mosque in Houston, the most recent and severe occurring last week. This comes amid an uptick in similar reports around the US.

World

2 min read

Brooke Anderson

Washington, D.C.

28 December, 2022

A mosque in Houston has experienced multiple acts of vandalism, with the most recent and severe taking place last week. [Getty]

A hate crime probe is being sought following a recent act of vandalism on a mosque in Houston, which was the third such incident in eight years.

The attack was also the second this year on the Quba Institute in southeast Houston. The most recent was last week, which was the most severe case, causing an estimated $30,000 in damages. The one before that took place in July.

There are currently no suspects, known threats or clear motives. However, the Council on American Islamic Relations-Houston are urging the authorities to investigate these incidents as hate crimes.

The recent mosque vandalisms in this diverse Texas city come at a time when there is an uptick in reported mosque attacks throughout the US, including areas with significant Muslim communities, such as Minnesota.

It is unclear if the increase in reporting is a result of increased attacks on mosques or an increase in people feeling comfortable coming forward and reporting these incidents to authorities.

"CAIR is looking forward to educating the community about their rights," William White, director of CAIR-Houston, told The New Arab. "We're compiling data to see if there's an uptick. There's definitely more reporting."