State Fire Marshal releases damage estimate in mosque arson

Rasa - A new damage estimate a little more than 2 week after an arsonist set the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce ablaze.

News ID: 423942

Date: 27 September 2016 - 23:55

RNA - A new damage estimate a little more than 2 week after an arsonist set the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce ablaze.

The Imam is speaking out about the crime.

Sitting down with CBS12, he touched on a variety of topics including Orlando shooter Omar Matten who frequently prayed at the mosque.

As the Imam of the Islamic Center of Ft. Pierce walks through what is left of his mosque, targeted by an arsonist two weeks ago he says it’s heartbreaking to look at.

Cell phone video shows flames shooting into the air, shortly after detectives say the suspect, Joseph Schreiber, 32, torched the Mosque.

The State Fire Marshal’s office in Tallahassee estimates damage around $50,000 to $75,000, a figure the Imam says is too low.

“I am not a construction worker, but to my estimate it can be more than $250,000,” said Syed-Shafeeq Ur Rahman, Imam of the Islamic Center of Ft. Pierce.

Although the mosque’s insurance policy was canceled prior to the Sept. 11 arson attack, a civil rights attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Florida says they may still be able to get reimbursed by the insurance company for the damage.

We asked the imam what he thinks of Schreiber, the alleged arsonist.

“If you could speak to him what would you say to him?” asked CBS12.

“I really want to speak to him. And I want to tell him that you are totally wrong that you are linking us with the shooter. And you just ruined your own life and I really feel bad for him,” said Imam Ur Rahman.

The shooter he refers to is Omar Mateen, the man who carried out a deadly shooting spree in June at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

Mateen worshipped at the Islamic Center of Ft. Pierce before the shooting.

The Imam wants to make it clear that Mateen did not get the idea to go out and kill dozens of people from anyone at the mosque.

“The shooter might have prayed here but praying never mean that he got the idea to shoot from here,” said the Imam.

We stopped by Joseph Schreiber’s home in Port St. Lucie to see if his parents would comment.

Someone came to the door, but quickly closed it as soon as they saw our camera.

The Imam says he’s touched by the show of support they’ve received. He says they’ve gotten letters from people around the country, some containing cash or checks to help them rebuild after the fire.

He says they’ve gotten cash and pledges totaling $50,000 to $60,000 so far.

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