A member of the Muslim community is suspected of setting the fire that occurred at a Marietta mosque Monday night, Marietta fire officials said Thursday.
Tamsir Mendy, 26, a native of Gambia, has been charged with 1st degree arson and is being held without bail at the Cobb County detention center, said Scott Tucker, Marietta assistant fire chief.
Firefighters got the call about 11:30 p.m. Monday night that the Islamic Center of Marietta (Masjid Al-Hedaya) was on fire. When they arrived at the mosque at 968 Powder Springs St., flames were coming from the front and back of the converted house. Firefighters saved the structure, but damages to the facility are estimated at about $100,000, Tucker said.
Mosque leaders said Mendy, who describes himself as a “devout Muslim,” had attended their prayer services for a few weeks, Tucker said.
Mendy was taken into custody around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Marietta Fire Department headquarters. He is believed to have acted alone, Tucker said.
Officials have ruled out the possibility that the arson was a hate crime, and did not provide details on any possible motives for the fire.
http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/muslim-community-member-charged-566659.htmlWASHINGTON, July 6 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the FBI to investigate a possible bias motive for a fire at a Georgia mosque that officials say "appears" to be intentionally set.
CAIR reported that the fire broke out late Monday at the Islamic Center of Marietta (Masjid Al-Hedaya) and resulted in severe damage to the facility. Evidence of forcible entry and vandalism were discovered at the site. Local authorities are investigating the blaze as a possible hate crime.
Official: Mosque Fire was Arson
"Given the recent wave of incidents targeting American mosques, a possible bias motive for this apparent arson attack must be considered," said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. "Unfortunately, there is a vocal minority in our society promoting anti-Muslim bigotry, and that minority is experiencing little or no pushback from mainstream religious and political leaders." 
He said other recent Islamophobic incidents include a hate rally yesterday against a Florida mosque and a planned protest against the expansion of an Islamic center in Tennessee.
Hooper noted that CAIR recently called on the FBI to investigate a threat made to bomb a proposed mosque in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
Mosques in New York also faced hate rhetoric by opponents, as did several others in Tennessee. A mosque in Jacksonville, Fla., was recently the target of a bomb attack. A Houston radio host made a controversial on-air call for the bombing of a proposed mosque and community center in New York City.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties group. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations
Read more:
http://www.sacbee.com/2010/07/06/2871845/cair-fbi-asked-to-probe-arson.html#ixzz0t86uJw00Islamophobia in full swing.
CAIR and their legion of pro-Muslim douches on the left are so desperate to perpetuate this notion of "islamophobia" that they are CONSTANTLY resorting to faking "anti-Muslim" attacks. CAIR has been caught championing faked crimes as "anti-Muslim hate" multiple times over the years now and yet this organization, who have also been linked to the financing of terrorist groups, continues to operate with impunity in this country. Will they retract their statements on this? Of course not. "Honest" Ibe Hooper will no doubt spin this into some perceived set-up by non-Muslims.
