THE SAN FRANCISCO INTERFAITH COUNCIL
CONDEMNS ACTS OF VANDALISM & DESECRATION
TO THE ISLAMIC CENTER OF SAN FRANCISCO MOSQUE
The teachings of our many faiths profess that when one limb of the body is injured, the whole body suffers. It is in this spirit and with great sadness that we learned of the horrific vandalism and desecration late Friday night to the Islamic Center of San Francisco, one of the oldest Muslim houses of worship in the State of California.
According to witnesses inside the building at the time of the incident, supported by security video, a man was seen walking purposefully up to the Mosque around 11 pm and intentionally threw a beer bottle through a window, shattering the glass and desecrating the sanctuary's sacred space. Islamic law forbids the presence, touching, and consumption of alcohol.
The San Francisco Interfaith Council strongly condemns these acts of vandalism and desecration and stands in solidarity with the faithful of the Islamic Center of San Francisco in the Bernal Heights neighborhood and our Muslim brothers and sisters across San Francisco.
Acts of vandalism and desecration are reprehensible in their own right, but are amplified in light of rising instances of Islamophobic acts in our nation and the world. It is the moral obligation of people of all faiths to speak out and advocate for vigilance at times of attacks like these. As such, the San Francisco Interfaith Council calls upon San Francisco's law enforcement bodies and civic leadership to fully investigate these acts of vandalism and desecration, and bring the perpetrator to justice.
Special thanks is extended to the Mosque's Bernal Heights neighbors and faith-based communities for their generous support at this time of injury.
