By Ed Diokno
Victoria, Texas, has stepped up to aid the town’s Muslim community after their mosque was destroyed in a fire last weekend, hours after Trump signed his executive order restricting immigration of Muslims.
“Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the tremendous support ,” wrote campaign organizer Omar Rachid, who attends the mosque. “The outpouring of love, kind words, hugs, helping hands and the financial contributions are examples of the true American spirit and humanity at its best with donations coming in from all over the world.”
Dr. Shahid Hashmi, the president of the Victoria Islamic Center, told CNN that Dr. Gary Branfman, a friend of his and a member of Victoria’s Temple B’nai Israel, stopped by his home to give him the keys to the synagogue so they could use it for their services.
“I never doubted the support that we were going to get,” said Hashmi. “We’ve always had a good relationship with the community here.”
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“The cause of the fire has not been determined yet. CNN reports that a number of churches and an office building also offered up their space, and that the Islamic Center has taken up temporary residency in a mobile home on the mosque property. Mosque members hope to be able to rebuild their mosque within the year thanks to generous donations locally and from abroad, including a GoFundMe page that has already raised over one million dollars in support.
(Ed Diokno writes a blog :Views From The Edge: news and analysis from an Asian American perspective.)
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