The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called for hate crime charges to be filed against two individuals for an incident in which one of them allegedly urinated on the doorstep of the mosque.
The Islamic Center of Chattanooga’s security camera video captured two men coming up to the mosque. One of the men appears to try to kick the bottom of one of the mosque’s windows, before the other says “there’s a ring camera on us” and the men walk away. The video then shows one of the men urinating on the doorstep of the mosque. The man who allegedly urinated on the mosque’s doorstep has been arrested and charged with indecent exposure and vandalism. The man who appeared to kick one of the mosque’s windows has not been charged.
In a statement, CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“Urinating on a mosque and attempting to kick in its window are obviously acts of hate. This would be true of any house of worship targeted in this way. We urge federal and local law enforcement to level hate crime charges against both of the men involved in this unacceptable vandalism. We also hope both men will face appropriate justice for their actions and then change their hearts and lives for the better.”
He noted that CAIR previously called for a hate crime probe of the incident.
SEE: CAIR Calls for Probe of Possible Bias Motive for Incident Targeting Tennessee Mosque
Mitchell noted that CAIR recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.
He urged houses of worship to utilize CAIR’s Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety guide, which contains security advice applicable to institutions of all faiths.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com