Shia Muslim Foundation Condemns Deadly Attack on Islamic Center of San Diego

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Shia Muslim Foundation strongly condemns today's deadly attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego, where three men were killed, including a security guard, before the two suspected gunmen were later found dead. This was an attack on Muslims, on a house of worship, and on the basic right of every American to pray without fear.

"The murder of innocent people at a mosque is an act of terror against the Muslim community and against religious freedom itself. American Muslims should not have to pray in fear, bury loved ones because of hatred, or wonder whether their children will come home safely from a mosque. This attack did not happen in a vacuum. Anti-Muslim hatred has been normalized, inflamed, and ignored for far too long." — Rahat Husain, Executive Director, Shia Muslim Foundation

SMF stands in full solidarity with the victims, their families, the Islamic Center of San Diego, and the Muslim community across California and the United States.

Authorities have stated that the attack is being investigated as a hate crime. SMF calls on federal, state, and local law enforcement to pursue the investigation with full seriousness, including any evidence of anti-Muslim ideology, online radicalization, planning, coordination, or broader threats to Muslim institutions.

"This weekend, SMF and Idara-e-Jaferia convened a major Community Safety and Security Summit in Maryland focused specifically on protecting our communities and houses of worship. Today's tragedy is a devastating reminder that these threats are real. Vigilance, coordination, and serious security investment are no longer optional." — Rahat Husain, Executive Director, Shia Muslim Foundation

SMF has spent recent months engaging law enforcement, homeland security officials, and elected leaders about mosque security and the rising threat environment facing Muslim communities. The Foundation urges every level of government to expand direct security coordination with mosques and Islamic centers, improve threat sharing, support nonprofit security funding, and treat anti-Muslim violence as a serious domestic security concern.

"No mosque, synagogue, church, temple, or house of worship should become a crime scene. The Muslim community will not be intimidated into silence or fear. We stand united, unbroken, and committed to protecting one another." — Rahat Husain, Executive Director, Shia Muslim Foundation

Recent SMF Work on Community Safety and Muslim Civic Protection

• San Diego Mosque Shooting Puts Muslim House of Worship Security in National Spotlight After SMF Safety Summit

• Shia Muslim Foundation Meets with Maryland Governor's Office of Homeland Security to Address Safety of Shia Mosques Statewide

• Shia Muslim Foundation, UMAA, and Idara-e-Jaferia Hold Historic Senate Meeting with Senator Chris Van Hollen and His National Security Team

• SMF Community Brief: Hajj Travel Guidance for American Muslims

About the Shia Muslim Foundation

The Shia Muslim Foundation is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization focused on civic engagement, advocacy, education, and protecting the rights and welfare of Shia Muslims and Muslim communities worldwide.

Shia Muslim Foundation and Idara-e-Jaferia Host Landmark Community Safety and Security Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth, Maryland Governor's Office of Homeland Security, and Montgomery County Police Department Join Shia Muslim Community to Address Safety, Build Partnerships, and Advance Federal Security Resources

BURTONSVILLE, MD — The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) and Idara-e-Jaferia Islamic Center recently co-hosted their inaugural Community Safety and Security Summit in Burtonsville, Maryland, bringing together federal elected officials, state homeland security leadership, county law enforcement, and members of the Shia Muslim community in a historic gathering focused on the safety and security of one of America's most underserved religious minorities.

The Summit drew community members from across the region for an afternoon of substantive dialogue, actionable information, and renewed commitment from government partners at every level. SMF Executive Director Rahat Husain called the event a defining moment for both organizations. "Today's Summit is the direct result of months of sustained advocacy and relationship-building," said Husain. "We are proud to have brought these leaders together in our community's home, and we are more resolved than ever to ensure that Shia Muslims in America have the protection and resources they deserve."

Dr. Ghulam Abbas, President of Idara-e-Jaferia, echoed that sentiment. "For decades, this community has gathered within these walls to worship, to grieve, and to celebrate," said Dr. Abbas. "It is only right that we also gather here to demand what every community deserves: safety, dignity, and the full protection of our government. This Summit was a step toward that, and Idara-e-Jaferia is proud to stand alongside the Shia Muslim Foundation in this work."

Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth delivered keynote remarks reiterating her strong and unequivocal support for the Shia Muslim community, affirming her commitment to ensuring that religious minorities in Maryland have access to the federal protections and resources they need. SMF is grateful for the Congresswoman's continued engagement and her willingness to show up not just in Washington, but here, in the community itself.

Marcia Deppen, Interim Director of the Maryland Governor's Office of Homeland Security, provided attendees with a detailed overview of the security resources available to religious institutions and community organizations across Maryland, offering practical guidance on how Shia Muslim centers can access state-level support. Director Deppen's remarks were among the most immediately useful of the afternoon, and her presence reflected the deepening partnership between SMF and the State of Maryland that has developed over recent months, including her designation as SMF's dedicated state point of contact and SMF's integration into Maryland's statewide security coordination meetings.

Commander Jason Cokinos of the Montgomery County Police Department's 3rd District brought a perspective rooted in years of direct engagement with the Idara-e-Jaferia community. Commander Cokinos has developed a longstanding working relationship with the mosque and its leadership, and his remarks at the Summit reflected that trust and familiarity. SMF thanks Commander Cokinos for his continued dedication to building genuine, sustained ties between law enforcement and the Shia Muslim community in Montgomery County.

The Summit is the culmination of an intensive period of government engagement by SMF, which has in recent months met with the offices of Senator Chris Van Hollen, Congressman Jamie Raskin, Congresswoman Elfreth, the Maryland Governor's Office of Homeland Security, and MCPD. SMF has documented a growing pattern of threats and attacks against Shia Muslim institutions across the United States and has pressed officials at every level to respond with commensurate resources, including access to the Department of Homeland Security's Nonprofit Security Grant Program, interagency coordination between the FBI and DHS, and dedicated law enforcement liaisons to Shia Muslim centers.

About the Shia Muslim Foundation

The Shia Muslim Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to civic advocacy, legal representation, and community safety for Shia Muslims in the United States. SMF works to build durable partnerships between Shia Muslim communities and government institutions at the federal, state, and local levels. For more information, visit shiamuslimfoundation.com.

About Idara-e-Jaferia

Idara-e-Jaferia Islamic Center is one of the largest and most prominent Shia Muslim institutions on the East Coast, serving the spiritual, educational, and civic needs of the Shia Muslim community in Maryland and the greater Washington, D.C. region for decades.

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San Diego Mosque Shooting Puts Muslim House of Worship Security in National Spotlight After SMF Safety Summit

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A shooting reported Monday at the Islamic Center of San Diego has turned mosque security into breaking national news just one day after the Shia Muslim Foundation’s Safety and Security Summit focused on protecting Muslim houses of worship. The timing is stark. What SMF and public officials discussed as an urgent security issue on Saturday became a live crisis at one of the largest Muslim institutions in Southern California on Monday.

According to the Associated Press, San Diego police responded to what authorities described as an active shooter situation at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Officer Anthony Carrasco told reporters that police believed people had been shot. Reuters separately reported that the mayor of San Diego described the incident as an active shooter situation and that police confirmed officers were on scene.

The Islamic Center of San Diego is not a small prayer space. AP reported that it is the largest mosque in San Diego County and that its campus includes Al Rashid School. That means the emergency was not limited to a place of worship alone. It struck a major Muslim religious and educational institution serving families, students, and the wider community.

In a statement shared Monday, the Muslim Public Affairs Council said it was closely monitoring reports of an active shooter incident at the Islamic Center of San Diego. MPAC added that it was devastated by reports of victims and called on the community to refrain from speculation while law enforcement continued responding. It stated plainly: "Houses of worship and schools should never become sites of fear or violence," and recommended that institutions immediately increase security.

Rahat Husain, Executive Director of the Shia Muslim Foundation, said the attack was a brutal confirmation of the danger Muslim institutions continue to face. "What happened in San Diego is exactly why mosque security cannot be treated as a side issue or a once a year conversation," Husain said. "A mosque can be a house of worship, a school, a community center, and a refuge all at once. When one is attacked, the whole community feels it. We are praying for the victims, and we are urging every Muslim institution in America to take security planning seriously right now."

SMF also noted that Marcia Deppen, Interim Director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, reached out to the foundation after the San Diego attack to check on the community’s needs. SMF said it is appreciative of that outreach and of the continued engagement by Maryland officials on the issue of mosque safety.

The San Diego attack also gives added weight to the summit SMF held just one day earlier. The core point of that event was that mosque security is not theoretical. Muslim institutions are expected to function as places of worship, education, and public service while facing real threats of violence. Monday’s shooting has now made that point in the clearest possible way.

This story is still developing. But one fact is already beyond dispute: less than twenty four hours after SMF convened a summit on the safety of Muslim institutions, a major American mosque went into active shooter response. That is not a hypothetical threat. That is headline reality. (AP News | Reuters)