Florida: firebomb thrown at Muslim family’s home

Panama City police are investigating what appears to be a fire bombing in the Forest Park area.

It happened about 3:45 Wednesday morning at a house on Timber Lane in phase-1 of the subdivision called The Woods.

The owner’s son said he heard a loud noise outside of his bedroom window, looked out and saw the ground below on-fire. He called 9-1-1, then put out the fire.

Police say they smelled gasoline and found what appeared to be a broken and burned mason jar, lying on the ground below the window.

The home is owned by a local medical professional named Aziz Ahmad. 5 adults were inside at the time.

Ahmad’s son, Muhsim talked with us. “This could have burned down our whole house. This could have killed everyone inside, which is a very dreadful thought. Something like this shouldn’t happen to anyone in this community.”

Panama City police and the State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the case as an arson.

But a Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization called the Council on American-Islamic Relations is calling on the F-B-I to investigate the incident as a Hate Crime.

WJHG-TV, 15 August 2012

See also “CAIR asks FBI to probe firebomb attack on Fla. Muslim family”, CAIR press release, 15 August 2012