Abubakar Assadique Islamic Center (AAIC)

  Tel: (612) 872-4009    Web: www.abuubakar.com  E-Mail: AAIC@abuubakar.com 

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                                       Press release   Friday, August 25, 2006

Abuubakar As-saddique Islamic Center (AAIC) was targeted with a suspected arson early morning on Thursday, August 24, 2006 while prayer was in session. No one was hurt in the incident, but dozens of Islamic books, literature and other equipments were destroyed. 

Chronology of events 

• 2:54 a.m. The mosque security cameras apparently show that a man broke into a back window down stairs and wandered around the dark before exiting the building without doing anything else wrong. That part of the building is under construction.
• 5:18 a.m. Security cameras show a second man getting into the mosque through the same window and quickly moving into an unused warehouse where hundreds of the Koran and other books were stored. Using a snowplow machine owned by the mosque, the man apparently started the fire.
• 5:39 a.m. Cameras show the suspected arsonist quietly exiting the building through the same door.

Several minutes after that, a member of the congregation decided to check down stairs. Fumes of smoke struck him in the face. He dialed 911 immediately. Firefighters showed up three minutes after his call and successfully put off the blazing fire. 

While we think this case has the fingertips of a hate crime, we’re not making any judgment on any particular people, community or faith. 

We have been receiving weekly – and sometimes daily- fax messages riddled with insults and “go back to your country” rhetoric since we bought the property.  

One of the main goals of AAIC center is to foster good relations between communities of different faiths to increase harmony and good will. The center believes that any attack on any place of worship is an attack on all places of worships. This incident clearly goes against that mission and the center strongly condemns any incident of this nature against any place of worship. 

The Muslim communities in the twin-cities are really concerned about the escalation of such incidents and are requesting the law enforcement and the general public to help curb

activities of this nature that damage the coexistence of communities. 

Police are still investigating the incident.

We will update you with further information as soon as it becomes available from the investigating sources.

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