Two mosques vandalized in Fort Smith

Rasa - Hateful messages were discovered at the Al Salam Mosque and the Fort Smith Islamic Center Thursday morning.

News ID: 424475

Date: 21 October 2016 - 17:02

RNA - Hateful messages were discovered at the Al Salam Mosque and the Fort Smith Islamic Center Thursday morning.

Three men were seen on surveillance video walking up to the Al Salam mosque on S. 28th Street at 5:12 a.m. Thursday. They spraypainted hateful messages and symbols the front signs, front door, windows and garage.

The messages included several swastikas, "Go Home," "USA," "F___ Islam," "F___ Allah," and "Go Back to Your Country."

Hisham Yasin, a member of the mosque and the owner of a local car dealership, talked to 40/29 News. He said he moved to the United States from Syria, and has lived here for 20 years.

“We’ve been here 35 years and we’ve never had problems like this," Yasin said. “This time they do like this, writing with pen but next time they attack our mosque?"

Yasin believes the people who wrote the messages took their inspiration from a presidential campaign.

“I think this issue came after Mr. Trump starts talking about Islam, about how he hate Islam and how he’s going to deport Muslims."

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