Chicago Sun-Times: Vandalism at Muslim Community Center on the Northwest Side being investigated by the Chicago police

What appear to be bullet holes were found at an Irving Park building. The incidents are ‘an attack on the Muslim community’s safety and right to worship freely’ a community leader says.

Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times

By  Mary Norkol

The Muslim Community Center in Irving Park was vandalized in what staff members and others say they believe was a targeted attack.

The Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for an investigation of two incidents — on Tuesday and on Sept. 1 — at the center, 4380 N. Elston Ave.

CAIR said the damage appears to be bullet holes in the glass of the center’s front doors.

“It’s unclear what the source of what look like bullet holes is, whether a gun, a BB gun or something else, but what seems clear is that the person who inflicted this damage on a Muslim house of worship did not come in peace,” said Ahmed Rehab, the organization’s executive director. “This attack is not just on a building. It is an attack on the Muslim community’s safety and right to worship freely.”

The police are investigating but didn’t say where the holes came from and whether they were bullet holes nor whether they consider what happened to be hate crimes.

Saturday afternoon, the glass in three doors had holes in them. They had been taped over.

Workers at the center saw one hole Sunday and two more Tuesday, according to Saif Mazhar, the center’s security chairperson, who said he reported the incident.

“It definitely does look like a hate crime,” Mazhar said. “It definitely seems like somebody was targeting somebody at the mosque.”

Mazhar said the center is beefing up security.