Man sentenced to nearly 16 years for US mosque arson

A man in the US state of Missouri has been sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison for his 2020 arson that destroyed a mosque.

On Wednesday, Nicholas John Proffitt received 191 months, the maximum recommended sentencing for setting fire to the Cape Girardeau Islamic Center in easter Missouri.

Missouri, which caused irreparable damage to the structure.

In the early morning of 24 April, 2020, on the first day of the holy month of Ramadan, Proffitt set fire to the centre, throwing objects through the windows, according to video footage of the incident. The worshippers who were inside at the time were able to escape unharmed. Prosecutors said this was his third attack on a house of worship.

"A 16-year sentence, a nearly 16-year sentence for this conduct, there’s no...taking those residences that he burned down, or the actual center itself, that can never be undone," said Jay Greenberg, special agent in charge for the FBI St. Louis Division, according to local news outlet KFVS. 

"But I think a 16-year sentence shows this is something that the government takes very, very seriously, and we will hold accountable anyone who attacks one of our pillars of the country."

He also commended the victims of the arson, saying: "They have shown a great amount of resolve, a great amount of grace and a great amount of forgiveness. I think they are clearly living the virtues that they are teaching."

The mosque's congregants, who have been using a Masonic temple for their services, have been working on plans to build a new mosque, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.