The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today invited community members to attend a gathering in solidarity with the Dar Al-Nur Islamic Center after its congregants were subjected to continued anti-Muslim harassment and intimidation.
The event will be held on Sunday, June 28 at Dar Al Hijrah in Fairfax County, Virginia.
WHAT: Stand Together for Dar Al-Nur Community Event
WHEN: Sunday, June 28 from 1 to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center in Fairfax, VA
Members of the Dar Al-Nur community have been subjected to repeated harassment, intimidation and physical attacks. On Sunday, allies and community partners plan to hold an event in solidarity with Dar Al-Nur at Dar Al Hijrah. The program for the event includes a full overview of the history of this case and its impact on the community as well as information about how you can support Dar Al-Nur as they face these attacks.
VIDEO: CAIR Demands Hate Crime Charges for Mosque Attacker in Virginia
BACKGROUNDER:
Dar Al Nur Community Center is a predominantly Somali-American Mosque in Fairfax, Virginia. Its congregation has allegedly been victim to repeated targeting by Dr. Tony Hsiao over a three-year period. He previously faced criminal charges for a different incident. In the most recent incident, Dr. Hsiao allegedly swung a metal rod at a group of women leaving prayer while yelling “F*CKING MUSLIMS” and ultimately damaged some of the mosque’s property.
Hsiao has since been charged with assault and battery, trespassing, and destruction of property. Despite his alleged acts of anti-Muslim and anti-Somali bias, Hsiao is not facing hate crime charges.
This is not the first time Hsiao has attacked Dar Al Nur Community Center and its congregants. Hsiao was arrested in March 2024 for a similar incident where he allegedly harassed and attacked people who had gathered for prayer there. Hsiao’s pattern of attacking Dar Al Nur Community Center and its congregants underscores the necessity of hate crime charges.
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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