‘It’s essential for Muslims to have a place together’: Lincoln Mosque reacts to San Diego shooting

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The tragic shooting at a San Diego Mosque on Monday may have happened over 1,500 miles away from Lincoln, but the president of the Islamic Foundation says it has impacted Lincoln, too.

Rebeen Kareem says that the San Diego Mosque that experienced the attack today was one he attended himself when first moving to the United States.

SEE ALSO: Police: Three killed in shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego; both suspects dead

“It’s essential for Muslims to have a place where they get together, and that particular mosque is the biggest mosque in the San Diego area,” said Kareem. “It’s kind of a very diverse community where you can see people from all around the world in that mosque.”

He says in light of Monday’s shooting, Muslims in Lincoln are concerned about their security, and it’s something they take seriously.

“We have a surveillance camera all around the place. Recently, we installed a fence just to prevent anyone from vandalizing the building at night, as it happened in the past,” said Kareem.

He adds that Lincoln Police have also been involved, responding quickly when the mosque requests extra patrolling.

Kareem’s colleague, Ndrao Faye, is the secretary general of The Islamic Foundation of Lincoln.

He says that police presence is crucial, and he noticed how quickly San Diego authorities responded to Monday’s shooting.

Faye says the uprising of violence against Muslims may be due to ignorance.

“Islam is really, very badly portrayed,” he said, explaining that often times they are linked to violence, but at their core, the religion is about peace.

“Islam itself teaches us the sanctity of human life, the mercy towards brothers, towards others in general, and the responsibility to protect the community from harm and hatred,” said Faye.

As for how the community should respond next?

“I would encourage Muslim communities to have events outside the mosque, like, going towards the community and expose [to] them what Islam is truly.”

Faye also invites the Lincoln community to attend their next event on May 28 at the Islamic Foundation of Lincoln, which will celebrate Eid.

He says it’s a time to promote unity, solidarity and community.

If you are interested in attending, more information is available on their website here.