Vandal throws Bible into Colorado mosque, police probe hate crime angle | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Vandal throws Bible into Colorado mosque, police probe hate crime angle

Fort Collins | ByAssociated Press
Mar 28, 2017 08:39 AM IST

Police released two clips of surveillance video that captured the vandalism at the Islamic Center of Fort Collins before dawn Sunday.

Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the person who overturned benches, broke windows and threw a Bible into a mosque near Colorado State University, a case they are investigating as a hate crime.

A suspect is shown in this still photo taken from surveillance video on March 26 in Fort Collins, Colorado, and provided on March 27.(Reuters Photo)
A suspect is shown in this still photo taken from surveillance video on March 26 in Fort Collins, Colorado, and provided on March 27.(Reuters Photo)

Police released two clips of surveillance video that captured the vandalism at the Islamic Center of Fort Collins before dawn Sunday. In one, a man wearing a hoodie, believed to be in his late teens or early 20s, is shown picking up a paving stone and walking away. In another clip, he kicks a door.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The center’s president, Tawfik Aboellail, said the man tried to break into the mosque about 4am Sunday, but he did not get inside.

The vandalism prompted the center to cancel religious classes for children that morning, but it has also led to an outpouring of support. The Coloradoan reports that congregants from Plymouth Congregational Church visited after their morning service, and later about 1,000 people gathered at the mosque for a rally of support organized by a rabbi Sunday evening.

Many have also been making donations online to pay for repairs and improved security.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations had urged police to investigate the case as a possible hate crime.

Police Chief John Hutto, who attended the support rally, said the incident has a “very real impact on our Muslim friends and neighbours.”

“The criminal act against their sacred space is unacceptable,” he said in a statement.

The vandalism comes about a month after someone threw a rock through a window at a mosque in the Denver area. The incident at the Colorado Muslim Society was also captured on surveillance video, but no one has been arrested. Investigators in the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office have exhausted their leads, spokeswoman Julie Brooks said Monday.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On