A prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group today called on the FBI to investigate recent vandalism at a Colorado mosque as a possible hate crime.

The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said a brick was thrown through a window of the Fort Collins Islamic Center on Sunday. Some community members say the attack is suspicious because it followed a forum Saturday to introduce a “Not In Our Town” chapter in that city. “Not In Our Town” is a group formed to fight hate groups. Police say surveillance cameras captured the crime. Local law enforcement authorities have not treated the vandalism as a hate crime because there was no message left at the scene by the perpetrators.

“It has been our experience that anti-Muslim bigots do not always leave a calling-card,” said CAIR Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “We urge the FBI to devote its considerable resources to assist local authorities in this case.”

CAIR news report, 20 April 2005