The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the dismissal of charges for a man who allegedly urinated on the doorstep of a mosque in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The charges of vandalism/malicious mischief and indecent exposure have been dropped for a man who allegedly urinated on the doorstep of the Islamic Center of Chattanooga in February. Video of the incident shows 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 attempted to kicked the windows was never charged.
SEE: UPDATE: All charges dismissed against Chattanooga man who urinated on Islamic Center
In a statement, CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said:
“Dismissing the charges against the suspect so quickly and easily is an apparent example of a double standard at play whenever Muslims or their institutions are targeted. It also sets a dangerous precedent for future incidents. We urge law enforcement authorities to take this violation of house of worship seriously and act accordingly. We urge federal officials to look into this case.”
He noted that CAIR previously called for hate crime charges for the suspects.
Hooper 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.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR encourages all mosques to schedule security assessments and apply for security grant funding available through federal, state and local government to improve security and boost infrastructure.
Earlier this month, CAIR released its 2024 civil rights report, which reveals the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history.
SEE: New CAIR Civil Rights Report Reveals Highest Number of Complaints in Group’s 30-Year History
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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