$440,000 raised in 20 hours after fire guts mosque
Mosque in Victoria, Texas after a fire
New York (IINA) – More than 9,500 people donated Sunday to rebuild a mosque in Victoria, Texas after a fire tore through the complex.
“We will rebuild, with LOVE!” said the Facebook page of Victoria Islamic Center, with pictures showing a massive blaze and black smoke billowing over the structure.
A gofundme.com campaign to fund the rebuilding of the mosque — which has a congregation of approximately hundred people — had already reached half of its $850,000 goal by Sunday afternoon, raising $440,795 in 20 hours.
According to Anadolu Agency, an investigation into the fire at the local and federal level — including by the FBI — is underway, as a cause has yet to be determined.
The mosque’s management thanked for the support on its Facebook page. “The outpouring support from our wonderful Victoria community and all over the nation have been phenomenal! UNITED WE STAND! Please do not politicize the tragedy! Stay United,” they wrote.
Anti-Islamic attacks have been on the rise since the November 8 election of Donald Trump into US presidency. President Trump has been a vocal critic of government policies against what he calls “radical Islamic terrorism,” promising and implementing a number of measures against it.
The measures included an executive order limiting refugee flow into the US from seven Muslim-majority countries and bringing “extreme vetting” to ID check procedures, as well as a proposal to have a Muslim registry.