Burning Tire Found Near Mosque

Fri., June 18, 1999

From Staff Reports

Police are investigating a possible attempted arson at the Pullman Islamic Center early Sunday.

A burning tire rolled onto the grounds, igniting a bush, according to center officials. The mosque was not damaged.

Police don’t know if it was a prank or a hate crime, said Sayed Daoud, a board member at the center. No arrests have been made.

While the center has been vandalized in the past, Daoud said it’s premature to make any judgments about the weekend incident. “I don’t want to put any fear or panic in the community because Pullman is a very safe community,” he said.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, an Islamic advocacy group, has sent out a press release urging police to investigate the fire as a possible hate crime.

The council said there have been a number of attacks on Islamic institutions in recent years, including four arsons in the U.S. since 1994.

There are several hundred Muslims living in the Pullman-Moscow area.

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