Mosque Vandalized Due to Hate Crime

Asalamu alaykum wrwb,

On Thursday, September 8th, 2022, we woke up to the news of our Islamic Center of Saint Cloud being vandalized, destroyed and damaged by a couple - a man and a woman- who were filled with bias, intoxication and an intent to destroy this center. The center was targeted for being an Islamic Center for the Muslim community of Saint Cloud. The intruders spent approximately two hours in the darkness of the night vandalizing and damaging what they could. They not only vandalized and left the place as a wreck but also took many Masaahif (Quran books). In addition, they wrote inside the Quran books with their blood. Police apprehended the intruders. We are struggling and striving to repair the damages done. The damage was done both to the inside of the Masjid and the outside. We appreciate any donations and support from our community. Here is an excerpt from the CBS Minnesota news article related to the issue:

"At the scene, officers found a hole in the ceiling, a damaged leather chair, bloody paper towels, and papers strewn about. A piece of paper with Arabic writing on it had a suspect's initials written in blood. They also found a keycard for a hotel at the scene. The officers went to the hotel, where they found Victoria Catalina Veliz, 25, and Logan Oliver Smith, 23. Inside the room, officers found two Qurans and three cassette tapes with Arabic writing on them, along with marijuana, the complaint says. Police say they are investigating the crime as bias-motivated and coordinating with the FBI."

Our goal is to raise $15,000. We are raising these funds as we rely solely on community donations to meet the center's needs to better serve the community.

Thank you,

ICSC Administration.