Western Pennsylvania Muslims are being “ultra vigilant” after a fatal shooting at an Islamic Center in San Diego, said Christine Mohamed, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Pittsburgh.
The attack on the mosque Monday by two teens killed three men: a security guard and two practitioners. Investigators said Tuesday they found more than 30 firearms and ammunition as they searched homes of suspects Caleb Liam Vazquez, 18, and Cain Lee Clark, 17. Vazquez and Clark killed themselves after the attack, officials said.
The Associated Press obtained writings of the suspects, which included hateful rhetoric toward Jewish people, Muslims and Islam, the LGBTQ community, Black people and women.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is giving mosques throughout Western Pennsylvania booklets, including safety protocols. The national chapter held a webinar Wednesday to help Muslims learn about safety precautions they should be taking.
But fear is not the only thing on the community’s mind.
“Your heart aches when something tragic happens,” Mohamed said. “It makes me feel disheartened as an American Muslim who believes in the First Amendment.”
Islamophobia in the U.S.
Mohamed said times like this are especially challenging when there are people in power spreading anti-Islamic rhetoric. She referenced a bill introduced into the House that would prevent Sharia law. Sharia is a religious and moral code of Islam, and Mohamed said it includes rules surrounding diet, fasting, prayer and more.
“You hear talk of Islam is not compatible with Western values,” she said. “As a Muslim myself, we are not trying to implement Sharia Law. … It shows lack of education.”
According to the Institute for Social Policy & Understanding, Muslim discrimination has been sustained at high levels since the organization started tracking it in 2016, with 62% of Muslim adults experiencing at least one incident each year.
Despite any pushback, Mohamed said she’s not going to stop practicing her religious beliefs.
“I’m not going to let fear stop me, but it’s very disheartening,” she said. “All we want to do is live our lives. We are teachers, doctors, lawyers. We just want to live.”
Mohamed said more people should be educated on Islam. She said this does not mean people have to convert, but it means they need to understand other religions.
“It builds up the community and understanding and respect,” she said. “We need to hold people accountable and have these discussions.”
Hate crimes at home
Pittsburgh is no stranger to hate crimes.
On Oct. 27, 2018, a gunman opened fire inside a synagogue in Squirrel Hill during Shabbat services, killing 11 worshipers and wounding two across three congregations, including Tree of Life, New Light and Dor Hadash.
In March, the Islamic Center of Western Pennsylvania in Marshall received a bomb threat. A witness told police he had received a threatening voicemail on his phone, which caused people in the mosque to evacuate. Police later identified Ted Steven Frank, 54, of Center Township, Beaver County, as a suspect.
In the message, which police quoted in an affidavit, Frank said Muslims should leave the United States and specifically said they should “go back to Iran.”
“There should be no place for hate speech in the U.S.,” said Sarmad Ashfaq, board member at the Islamic Center of Western Pennsylvania, who said he was disturbed by the increase of Islamophobia.
He said it made the community nervous, but it has not deterred them from practicing their religion.
“I don’t think people are going to stop coming to the mosque,” Ashfaq said.