On Saturday, August 5, 2017, Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center, located in Bloomington, Minnesota, was bombed. Worshippers were present in the mosque at the time a bomb was hurled through a window of the Center, but, Al-Hamdulillah (by the grace of Almighty God), no one was injured.
The bombing of Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center is not only a physical act of terror directed at the Muslims residing in Bloomington, Minnesota, but is a message of intimidation directed to all who profess Islam as their religion.
Mark Dayton, the governor of the State of Minnesota, has declared the bombing of the Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center as an act of terrorism. The Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) denounces this deliberate act of violence and urge that all parties, especially federal law enforcement authorities, to acknowledge and to treat this heinous act as one of terrorism.
CIOGC also joins the leadership of Dar al-Farooq Islamic Center in calling all people of faith and goodwill to remain resilient in the collective call for tolerance, justice, and peace.
In the face of the risk of such acts of violence, CIOGC urges the Muslim community of greater Chicago to remain vigilant in securing their facilities, alert in assuring the safety of their members, and to contact authorities regarding any suspicious behavior or suspicious items spotted in or around their facilities.
Image credit: Dar Al Farooq