Reacting To Islamophobia In Nebraska

Jan. 26, 2016, 6:45 a.m. ·

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Over the past several months, the Omaha Islamic Center has been the target of several acts of vandalism. (Photo by Ben Bohall, NET News)

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Over recent months, events around the world and the U.S. have had a profound effect on one small mosque in Omaha, Nebraska. And that’s opened up a dialogue on tolerance and understanding.


It’s 5:27 pm, time for the sunset prayer. And Nasir Husain is interpreting the greeting I just received as I walked in the door as, "peace be upon you." He tells me the appropriate response would be, "upon you, peace as well and the blessings and mercy of God."

I’m at the Islamic Center of Omaha - a small mosque tucked away in a neighborhood on the northwest side of town. Ahead of where I sit, a small congregation of seven men kneel and pray. They range in occupation from a businessman to a manual laborer. For 25 years, Omaha Muslims have called the ICO a quiet home for worship. But for the past several months, that’s changed considerably.

Vandals threw large rocks in an attempt to break the glass door. They also left slices of raw pork on the door handles. (Photo courtesy of Mohammed Rasheen)

Outside of the mosque, Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesperson for the ICO, shows me evidence of something the center has struggled with of late: vandalism.

You can see the damage to the center’s west entrance from where someone threw large rocks in an attempt to break the glass door. They also left slices of raw pork on the door handles.

“It takes a kind of motivation for a person to do that. Unfortunately, the motivation here is hate," Rasheed said.

Rasheen says since last August, there’s been an uptick in acts of vandalism, like this one, against the mosque. They’ve often coincided with world events, such as the attacks in Paris or the San Bernardino shootings.

“And whenever something happens, that seems to fuel someone. So far it has been hate crime-related vandalisms. That is where our apprehension is and we’re kind of afraid of what’s going to happen next," Rasheed said.

The ICO has reported the events to the police and FBI, and investigations are currently underway.

But the center does not exist in a microcosm

Ibrahim Hooper is the national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

“Things are getting out of hand. There have been more than 70 anti-mosque incidents nationwide in the past year, including firebombing mosques," Hooper said.

Hooper says the acts are fueled by a fervor of anti-Muslim rhetoric across the United States, the likes of which hasn’t been seen since immediately following 9/11. He says the goal now is to break that narrative.

James LeSueur is a UNL professor of history, and an expert in radical Islam and terrorism. (Photo courtesy of UNL)

“You have to do education and outreach, because we find when people know more about Islam and Muslims, prejudice goes down. When they know Muslims in their daily lives, prejudice goes down as well,” Hooper said.

In a classroom at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, History professor James LeSueur is having his class read a poem aloud entitled, “The Caged Hawk.” It’s about Emir Abdelkader. He was a Muslim Algerian military leader who led a struggle against the French colonial invasion in the mid-19th century. In lectures like this one, LeSueur is trying to provide a historical context of Islam for Nebraskans. Last month, he gave a talk on how Muslims are combating violence and radicalization within their faith. The event ended up being standing-room only.

“I think one of the first things that people have to understand is that this is not a new phenomenon. This has been happening for a very long time within Muslim communities, nations, or societies," LeSueur said. "By happening, I mean there’s been a pretty fierce debate about the nature of Islam. And there has been a radicalizing discourse.”

LeSueur says long before the rise of radical groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS, some moderate writers and artists from Muslim-majority states have relied on peaceful means like art and literature to take on radical Islamists within the realm of ideas. He worries growing US anti-Muslim rhetoric and acts of violence against American Muslims only undermine moderates and their beliefs.

Following the acts of vandalism at the Islamic Center of Omaha, hundreds wrote in with letters and cards showing their support for the mosque. (Photo by Ben Bohall, NET News)

“I’m saying this as an American. It’s a cultural problem when we, in our own history, have often tried to welcome people who are being persecuted. And, in fact, that was one of the calling cards of America. So if we shut down, that means part of our identity shuts down. Are we willing to do that?” LeSueur asked.

Following the acts of vandalism at the Islamic Center of Omaha, hundreds wrote in with letters and cards showing their support for the mosque. And now, Rasheed says the mosque is holding open houses every second Saturday of each month to anyone who wants to learn more about Islam. He says he hopes it will show people what the Muslim faith and the small mosque truly represent.

“Our message has always been that people need to learn about each other. When that understanding is there, whether it’s hate or fear, those feelings will slowly subside,” Rasheed said.