Suspect breaks into, vandalizes mosque in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - A Minneapolis mosque was broken into and vandalized Wednesday night, causing more than $5,000 in damage. Gov. Mark Dayton visited the mosque on Sunday to view the damage and discuss the incident.

"The act that was perpetrated this last week is a terrible, terrible act," Dayton said. "Vicious, illegal, cowardly. To sneak in in the dead of night and desecrate a place of worship is so un-American and so un-Minnesotan."

A man was caught on surveillance video breaking doors and windows in the Umatul Islam Center at 3015 2nd Avenue S and stealing equipment and files, members of the mosque told the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The same suspect was also allegedly caught on camera in the month attempting to break into the mosque.
Members of the Muslim community are concerned about what motivated the suspect to target the mosque, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement.

"This is a critical time for our community to engage in dialogue and to dispel a lot of misinformation out there today about Islam and Muslims that creates fear in our community," Jaylani Hussein, Council on American-Islamic Relations, said.