A Muslim civil rights group is calling for an investigation into a possible hate crime after a Warren mosque and nearby construction equipment were vandalized over the weekend.
The Michigan chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI) is also offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible.
The Islamic Organization of North America (IONA), the first mosque established in Warren, reported broken windows, wall damage, and graffiti inside the mosque and on equipment used for its expansion project.
The vandalism occurred sometime between late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, according to CAIR-MI.
Mosque officials have notified the Warren Police Department.
“We call on anyone who witnessed this vandalism or was told about this criminal act to immediately contact the Warren Police Department,” CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid said in a statement Tuesday. “There is no valid justification for anyone to vandalize private property, especially a house of worship.”
Walid, who also serves as a prayer leader at IONA, said the mosque has been repeatedly vandalized and threatened since opening decades ago.
CAIR-MI said it wants authorities to investigate whether the vandalism was motivated by hate.
Earlier this year, CAIR’s Minnesota chapter called for a similar probe after a fire damaged a mosque in Bloomington.