Minneapolis mosque break-in latest in string of incidents intimidating local Muslim community

A break-in earlier this week at a north Minneapolis mosque has rattled the Islamic community at a time when leaders say it is dealing with rising Islamophobic rhetoric and attacks.

The incident occurred Sunday night at the Masjid Uthman Islamic Center, 2900 Lyndale Ave. N. It involved two masked individuals – aided by a third person driving a vehicle – entering the mosque and leaving, apparently without removing or damaging anything, according to the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

The break-in was captured on surveillance video, the images of which were publicized Wednesday by CAIR. Minneapolis police said no arrests have been made.

CAIR, an advocacy group for the Islamic community, connected the incident with a series of other recent break-ins and vandalism reported at local Islamic community centers.

“We’re worried,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota CAIR chapter.

Hussein said there was no evidence of theft or vandalism inside Masjid Uthman, although he noted the perpetrators desecrated its worship area by entering with shoes on. He still called their actions “scary.”

“Masjid Uthman is a vital part of north Minneapolis,” CAIR Deputy Executive Director Suleiman Adan said in a statement. “Any break-in or attack against a sacred space reverberates throughout the community. Our communities have endured repeated acts of intimidation and violence. We are working closely with mosque leadership and law enforcement to ensure accountability and to support the congregation during this difficult moment.”

Nevertheless, Hussein said the community being “singled-out” in such a manner has resulted in a wave of online Islamophobic comments directed at CAIR and other Muslim institutions in Minnesota.

“It’s completely on a new level,” he said. “The volume is too high.”

Hussein said Minnesota has seen more than 40 instances of vandalism, arson or other disturbances at mosques in the past three years, higher than any other state. Damages have totaled more than $3 million.

He said often he believes the community’s concerns are disregarded, citing issues with police, fire and emergency communications personnel. He said elected officials such as Gov. Tim Walz do not typically visit after such incidents.

“For us, it’s like people are not taking us seriously,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to safeguard our community and ensure that law enforcement are well-educated and well-resourced to respond to the issues that matter to us.”

Hussein said there is concern all three could have been motivated by anti-Muslim bias, but he acknowledged he did not have complete information as investigations continued.

On Sept. 5, a fire broke out in a shed behind the Dar Al-Farooq Center in Bloomington, which was also targeted in a bombing in 2017. CAIR said at the time that mosque leaders suspected arson.

Bloomington police did not respond to a request for an update on the investigation Wednesday.

Later that month, someone started a fire outside the Alhikma Islamic Center in Minneapolis. In early October, the same person broke into the mosque and threatened to burn it, according to CAIR.

Police later made an arrest, but in October, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said those incidents did not appear to be hate crimes and suggested the suspect may be dealing with mental or substance abuse issues. He also said it was unclear if the fire incident rose to the level of a crime.