USA: A man is being questioned in the arson attacks on a New York mosque, Hindu place of worship, two homes, and a convenience store

Record ID: 355815

  • Title: USA: A man is being questioned in the arson attacks on a New York mosque, Hindu place of worship, two homes, and a convenience store
  • Date: 4th January 2012
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 3, 2012) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF MOSQUE FIRE DAMAGE SIGN NEW YORK CITY MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG WALKING BLOOMBERG STANDING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK CITY MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, SAYING: "Whether it was senseless violence or a hate crime will be determined down the road, but in either case,
  • Embargoed: 19th January 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa, Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVA1XGYHM5EPEVUJ2SE55H3EI7XI
  • Story Text: New York police on Tuesday (January 3, 2012) questioned a "person of interest" who may be linked to the Molotov cocktail attacks that targeted a mosque and a Hindu place of worship on Sunday night (January 1), Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
    The case is being investigated as a possible hate crime and drew strong remarks from religious leaders of various backgrounds who joined Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a news conference at the mosque.
    "Whether it was senseless violence or a hate crime will be determined down the road, but in either case, we are just not going to tolerate it in this city. And fortunately the number of incidents like this are very low, but one is one too many. So I just wanted to say to the Imam, he has our total support, as would the head of any religious institution no matter what religion it is in this city. I think we all know that we are in this together. Discrimination against anybody is discrimination against everyone," said Bloomberg.
    "Today our focus here is to show we are here in America, the United States of America. We are one family. If one gets hurt, all the family will get hurt. So we have to be shoulder to shoulder. We have to protect our country. We have to protect our society. We have to protect this freedom. God give us this freedom here in the United States of America," added Imam Maan al-Sahlani of the Iman al-Khoei Islamic Center.
    Police brought a man in for questioning on Tuesday morning based on eyewitness reports and a surveillance video that may have placed his car at the scene of at least two of the five places that were firebombed, Kelly said.
    One of the firebombs hit the mosque entrance at the Imam al-Khoei Foundation, a Shiite organization in the New York City borough of Queens while some 75 to 80 people were inside.
    Another hit a private home where Hindu services are held. A convenience store and two private homes were also damaged with no injuries reported.
    "Here at Al-Khoei mosque, you can see the damage on the facade out front. Two Molotov cocktails were thrown at this location. Now these events are being investigated as possible hate crimes. Another location was a residence that also was used as a Hindu house of worship. Now attacks on houses of worship are particularly egregious because simultaneously they endanger lives, but they also assail our religious freedoms," added Kelly.
    The arson attacks occurred over two hours on Sunday night in Queens and in Long Island.
    At three of the sites the same type of glass container was used -- a Starbucks Frappuccino bottle.
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