Minneapolis mosque attacked, suspect sought

A mosque in Minneapolis was attacked Sunday evening, causing an estimated US$50,000 in damages and losses, with the suspect still at large.

This is the latest in a series of attacks against a mosque in Minnesota, the fourth reported since the beginning of the year, making Minnesota the state with the most mosque attacks per capita.

"We have not had this level of attacks on mosques in Minnesota," Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council of American-Islamic Relations-Minnesota, told The New Arab, noting the uptick in mosque attacks in the state over the past several months.

This latest attack at the Tawfiq Islamic Center, which was reportedly vandalised Sunday evening, appeared to be perpetrated by a young white male who was filmed on a security camera damaging 15 doors and stealing donations. An early estimate of the damages and losses is US$50,000.

It is unclear if this recent mosque attack is linked to the others. However, the suspect looks to be a different person than the previously reported perpetrators, with two of the four caught since the beginning of the year.

Based on past similar crimes in Minneapolis and across the US, the perpetrator is believed to be a white supremacist.

 "They've been pretty active in Minnesota, I think because Minnesota is no longer a fly-over state," said Hussein, referring to the state's demographic transition from what was once the whitest state in the country to one known for George Floyd's killing by police officers and for a growing community of Somali immigrants, including Representative Ilhan Omar.

The recent attack has shaken the local largely Somali Muslim community, whose feeling of security has been compromised by the recent mosque attacks.

The Minneapolis police are currently investigating the case, and they are asking for anyone with information to come forward. Hussein says they are asking for an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which tends to have more resources with hate crimes.

Though this mosque break-in has not yet been given a classification, there are indications pointing to a hate crime, including the break-in of the imam's office, which could point to a planned attack, given its inconspicuous location.

Moreover, Hussein notes that many hate crimes do not have classic signs, such as swastika graffiti, but are still intended to frighten the targeted community, which could obscure the true extent of these crimes. Hussein says he working with a coalition to help law enforcement improve their hate crime investigations.