$870,000 raised to rebuild South Texas mosque destroyed in fire

VICTORIA, Texas – An online fund established to raise money to rebuild a South Texas mosque destroyed by fire over the weekend has far exceeded its $850,000 goal.

A GoFundMe page set up on behalf of the Islamic Center of Victoria indicated Monday that about $870,000 has been raised in just two days. The page shows more than 18,500 people have contributed.

Fire officials say it’s too early to determine the cause of the blaze early Saturday morning.

The mosque was broken into about a week ago and the target of a hate message in 2013, but Muslim leaders and others are cautioning against a rush to judgment.

The Victoria Advocate reports that police estimate about 400 people attended a prayer rally Sunday outside the remains of the mosque.