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)
