Hattiesburg Islamic Center sign vandalized

The sign for the Islamic Center of Hattiesburg was knocked out of its frame early Friday morning, but the center's members are not seeking retribution.

Jerry Buti, who helped establish the center in 2008, said he would like to welcome the person or persons responsible to meet the center's members and pray with them.

"We would like to invite them to understand what Islam is all about," he said. "We're all about loving and caring. We're all local.

"If you have any issue with this part of the community, we would love to deal with it, to talk about it."

As word of the vandalism spread, one national group spoke out against the incident.

“These kinds of incidents are occurring on a daily basis around the country,” said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C. “There’s been an unprecedented spike of events like these since the November presidential election.”

Hooper said in addition to attacks on Muslim communities, other minority groups are being targeted.

“It’s really unfortunate and something our nation’s leaders and particularly Donald Trump need to address,” he said. “He is responsible for a lot of the anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies.”

Hooper said he has reached out to Buti to talk to him about the incident. He also plans to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Hattiesburg police to ask them to investigate the incident — and others like it that happened recently in other areas of the country — as a hate crime.

“The problem is these are coming so fast and furious it’s hard to keep up with them,” Hooper said. “Before, we might have gone a month and not got a hate crime. Now it is happening on a daily basis and sometimes more than once a day.”

The incident is not being taken lightly locally either.

Bob Press, director of the Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties at the University of Southern Mississippi, said anytime there is abuse of human rights, people need to express their concern.

"The worst thing that can happen is silence," he said. "It is important for people to be aware of the challenge or threat to one of our minority communities. And it's important to embrace our diversity.

"I think when something like this happens, people — ministers, locals, commercial people — need to speak out and condemn it, otherwise it gives encouragement to the very, very few who might think this is tolerable behavior. This is not tolerable."

The sign also was vandalized about a year ago, Buti said. Neither incident was reported to the police, but the center has video of what took place both times. Buti said the video is not clear enough to determine the suspect or if it is the same person from the year before.

Buti has lived and worked in Hattiesburg nearly 40 years and has never experienced any negativity in the community.

"We protect our community, we protect our country because that's where we were born, that's where we live," he said. "That's where we make our living. That's where we worship, too, just like any other human being."

Islamic Center members have mostly felt support from the community and recently received many postcards showing that support.

The postcards are on a bulletin board at the center to remind members they are appreciated.

"Dear Islamic Center of Hattiesburg, My family and I stand with you. We value your presence in this community," one postcard reads.

"I'm Jewish and I want you to know that I will stand up for your rights. May all children of God, especially Muslims, live in peace," another says.

Hooper said he, too, has seen a spike in positive reactions since the election.

"There is a flip side, too," he said. "There has also been an unprecedented spike in support for the Muslim community."

It is not the first time the center was vandalized.

In March 2014, shots were fired into the building, breaking windows and leaving bullet holes in the walls. No one was injured in the incident.

At the time, the faculty senate at the University of Southern Mississippi passed a resolution to support the Islamic Center and its members, saying, "(The faculty) wishes to express their condemnation of the violence against the Islamic Center and their support for everyone to worship freely without fear of violence. Freedom of religion is a basic human right."

Hattiesburg City Council passed a similar resolution and area pastors attended prayer at the Islamic Center to show their support.

Although Hattiesburg police investigated and the FBI in Jackson monitored the case, no suspect ever emerged.

If you go

The Islamic Center, 211 N. 25th Ave., has open prayer at 1:15 p.m. on Fridays. 

Anyone of any faith is welcome.