Community | May 03, 2011 | 80 comments

Muslim center vandalized after Bin Laden's death

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JanforGore
Members of southern Maine's Muslim community are expressing outrage after their Portland community center was spray-painted with hurtful messages in response to the death of Osama bin Laden.

Sometime after morning prayer at the Maine Muslim Community Center someone spray painted "Osama Today, Islam Tomorrow" and "Go Home" on the front and side of the building.

"It is hurtful. It is absolutely unacceptable, and I believe we are under threat," said Abdirahman Osman, a community elder. "We cannot accept these such things. Our community, they all are hurt a lot, and we don't accept such things happening to our center, here."

Osman said whoever attacked their community facility is uneducated about the Muslim people and the religion of Islam.

He said people who believe in Islam believe in God, not violence and that Osama bin Laden created a lot of problems and suffering for Muslim people.

The Portland Police Department is investigating the act of vandalism as a hate crime under Maine law.

"We don't have many hate crimes here and certainly, to deface a mosque is just totally unacceptable," Portland Police Chief James Craig told reporters Monday afternoon. "This is certainly not reflective of the people who live here in Portland. It is a very serious incident and it certainly creates fear in the community, not just in the Muslim community, but in all of our communities."

Craig said he planned on meeting with members of Portland's Muslim community to ensure them everything that could be done to keep them safe, and find the person responsible would be done.
  1. groups:
    Community,   Culture,   Human Rights
  2. tags:
    Religion Violence Ignorance Threats 1 more
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