Overview
- The fire was reported at about 2:11 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, and burned the mosque’s enclosed front porch while the building was empty and no one was injured.
- Philadelphia Fire Marshals concluded the blaze was incendiary and the Northeast Detective Division is leading an active criminal investigation with no arrests announced.
- The Philadelphia chapter of CAIR released aftermath and surveillance video that shows a person in a black hooded sweatshirt near the scene and offered a $2,500 reward for information.
- Community organizers have raised more than $10,000 on a GoFundMe and local officials pledged additional reward money and support as mosque leaders asked the public to submit tips.
- The mosque was founded in 2004 and had been planning a $2.8 million expansion which leaders say makes the center a vital community hub and could factor into decisions about security and further legal action.