Global Courant 2023-05-02 14:01:59
President Biden took to Twitter late Monday night to support Muslim Americans and Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar after a man was arrested in Minneapolis for allegedly setting fire to two mosques and vandalizing the congressman’s precinct office.
“Muslim culture has been intertwined with American culture from the very beginning. We must always stand against anti-Muslim hatred. And stand up for the rights and dignity of all people,” Biden tweeted.
The president added: “It is essential to who we are: a nation founded on the idea of freedom and justice for all.”
Police announced that 36-year-old Jackie Rahm Little has been arrested and charged in connection with fires in the bathroom of the mosque of 24 Somali Mall and the Mercy Islamic Center, which houses the Masjid Al Rahma Mosque, on 23 and 24 April.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE ARRESTED SUSPECTED OF SETTING 2 MOSQUES IN MINNESOTA ON FIRE
President Biden speaks at the National Small Business Week event at the White House in Washington DC, United States on May 1, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The two facilities are located within a mile of each other.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced the arrest Sunday morning, calling the two arsons “incredibly inhumane.”
“Places of worship should be safe places. Burning down a sacred facility, where families and children gather, is incredibly inhumane. And this level of blatant hatred will not be tolerated in our great city,” he said.
O’Hara confirmed that Little is being held responsible for both arson attacks, as security footage showed him carrying a bag of gasoline.
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Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, praised the arrest.
“This arrest brings some relief to our community, which has been tense for the past week,” Hussein said. “We hope to learn more about the motives of the suspect and any accomplices who may have instigated these attacks on our places of worship.”
President Biden hugs Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn, upon arrival at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 3, 2023. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Omar, D-Minn, who announced that she was also a victim of the attack, similarly thanked the police for the arrest.
“I want to thank the Justice Department, FBI, local law enforcement and all agencies that helped bring this suspect to justice,” Omar said in a statement.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., also released a statement regarding the arson and vandalism of her congressional district office. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“Little is not only responsible for multiple arson attacks against mosques in my district and the vandalism of a Somali officer’s police vehicle, but has also attacked my own office with vandalism at least once,” she added.
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Her statement continued, “We are currently witnessing an epidemic of hatred against the Muslim community and other religious minorities in Minnesota and worldwide. This campaign of terror is designed to keep us scared and divided. As Muslim Americans and as Minnesotans, we will not terrorized. We will continue to unite against intolerance, because love is stronger than hate.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
