Americans raise $600,000 to rebuild burned Texas mosque

Though it is unclear how the mosque caught fire, an 
online fundraiser seeks to raise $850,000 to rebuild 
Islamic centre.

A Texas community has rallied behind its Muslim
 residents after their mosque burnt to the ground shortly
 after President Donald Trump signed into effect a
 "Muslim ban" on refugees and others from seven Muslim-majority countries.


Following the news that their house of worship in
 southeast Texas was completely destroyed early on
 Saturday, the Islamic Centre of Victoria set up an online donation drive via GoFundMe to rebuild. It has raised
 more than $600,000 of its $850,000 goal in 24 hours.

"We were very shocked Saturday morning when we saw 
the mosque burning," Shahid Hashmi, president of the
 Islamic Centre, told Media.

According to local reports, the building caught fire 
shortly after 2 am local time.

Now, the outpouring of monetary and moral support
 has shocked Hashmi again: "It's incredible. We are very grateful."

Hashmi had just come from a meeting with
 representatives from the local synagogue and churches, 
as well as lay people. "Muslims came from Houston, 
Dallas, which is four hours away … It was really 
heartwarming, everything has been good."

But the mosque's destruction has sent ripples throughout
 the community. The Victoria police and fire department
 are working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to 
determine the fire's cause.

"I hope it wasn't a hate crime," Hashmi continued. The 
doctor has lived in the so-called "Bible Belt," one of the 
most conservative parts of the United States, for 40 years.
 The mosque was constructed in 2000, just a year before
 the September 11 attacks.


When asked how the political climate after President 
Trump signed the "Muslim ban" compared to the times
 after September 11, which saw a massive spike in hate crimes, Hashmi said it's "about the same".

He added: "Nothing hateful has been expressed locally.

Nationally, obviously, there are many more voices that 
are anti-Muslim."

The Victoria Fire Department told AP an investigation is ongoing.

Although it remains unclear if the mosque was burned 
down deliberately, John Esposito of the Bridge Initiative,
 a research project that connects the academic study 
of Islamophobia with the public square, explained that 
hate crimes have risen since Trump’s inauguration.

Some of the hate crimes targeting Muslims seemed to be
inspired by the new president, Esposito told media. "We
see with the number of hate crimes - not all [of them] -
people are saying lines that Mr Trump has used," he said.


'No community should lose its home'

Saturday evening, a federal judge in New York blocked
deportations stemming from the order.

Commenters on the GoFundMe page are speaking out
against a perceived national wave of discrimination and 
the Trump administration.

Benjamin Tamber-Rosenau, who donated $100, wrote
 that his ancestors fled to the US from Europe due to persecution of Jewish communities.

"Now we are watching another community become 
victims of baseless hatred here in the United States,
 with the complicity (at minimum) of a depressingly large
 part of our government, including our president … 
whatever the cause of this fire, no community should lose its home," he wrote.

Martin Wagner, another donator, had one of the highest
-rated comments: "I'm an atheist and I am deeply
 saddened and disgusted by what was done to you.
 Religious freedom and freedom from persecution are fundamental rights!"

With so many donations coming in, Hashmi happily commented there might be enough funds to rebuild by
 the end of the weekend. He is in contact with the original builder of the mosque who is ready to help, and the next 
step is to clear the debris and attain building permits.

"God willing, we will celebrate Ramadan in the new 
mosque," Hashmi concluded.