Welcome to post-Paris attack, post-San Bernardino attack America, where crimes against Muslims are definitely on the rise and in a few short weeks rhetoric on the right has led to things like arson at mosques.
A fire that broke out Friday afternoon at the Islamic Society of Coachella Valley was contained to the lobby area without anyone being
injured. According to the imam of the mosque it appeared to be the result of a firebombing.
The Riverside County Sheriff's department said the call came in as possible arson. They believe that it was an intentional act potentially resulting in a hate crime. A person of interest was identified and has since been detained.
The fire was reported at 12:09 p.m. at the 1,800-square-foot building located at 84650 Avenue 49. Cal Fire Riverside reported that crews contained the flames to the lobby area at 12:46 p.m., but there was smoke damage throughout the mosque.
Reymundo Nour, president of Islamic Society, told City News Service that he was out of town at the time of the attack but received reports from his
staff.
``Someone threw what seems to be a Molotov cocktail-like device and it exploded inside the building around the reception area,'' he said.
People were inside at the time, but no one was injured, he said. The fire broke out about an hour before an afternoon prayer session was to begin.
Muslim shop owners are getting beat up, mosques are being defaced and vandalized, there have been dozens of incidents since November 11th, and hey, events like this have been happening since before then too, even right here in Kentucky.
Both Paris and San Bernardino were terrible events perpetrated by cowards, and there's no valid comparison of rampaging murder that killed 14 or in the case of Paris, more than 160, to simple assault or vandalism.
But the latter is something we as a country have direct power over, and it needs to stop.
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