Tragedy at San Diego mosque: human rights activists link attack to rising Islamophobia - photo
Armed attack carried out inside the walls of the largest mosque and Islamic center in San Diego (California, USA) shocked the world community and local residents.
On Monday, May 18, three men were shot dead in the San Diego mosque. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wol announced that this bloody event is being thoroughly investigated as a "hate crime," and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been brought in on the case.
Religion News Service writes that in recent months Islamic human rights advocates have warned of rising anti-Muslim hatred and its consequences. The shooting victims are remembered as "people of courage, self-sacrifice and faith" who risked themselves to protect others. The Islamic Center of San Diego named the deceased: longtime store owner and mosque caretaker Mansur Kazih, security guard Amin Abdulla and neighbor Nadir Awad.
According to mosque imam Tahi Hassane, Abdulla died protecting more than 200 children and worshippers. The beloved guard, the imam said, was killed first but before dying managed to warn teachers at the center's school over the radio to lock classroom doors. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wal stated at a press conference on Monday that Abdulla "without a doubt saved lives" by holding off the shooters in a shootout at the mosque entrance.
"We never expected something like this could happen, but at the same time the level of religious intolerance and hatred is unfortunately unprecedented for our country," Hassane said. "We are all responsible for spreading a culture of tolerance and love."
Federal authorities investigating the case reported finding a manifesto from the two suspects, whom police found dead in a car nearby. The document contained hateful thoughts against various races and religions.
Abdulla, born Brian Climax, was remembered by the community as a hero. Hassane described him as a devout man who often smiled and warmly greeted children, adults and mosque visitors. His daughter, Hawaa Abdulla, spoke of her father as a loving protector, best friend and role model. At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon she began by reading from the Quran before breaking down in tears while paying tribute to her father. "My father was the main advocate for the safety and protection of our community," she said. "He stood against any form of hatred. He took his job seriously — protecting everyone here. He would have wanted our community to remain united. That is what he would have wanted."
Awad, whom Hassane called a "devoted" neighbor of the mosque, ran to help upon hearing gunshots to protect worshippers and his wife, who teaches at the Islamic school. According to police, Awad and Kazih were killed in the mosque parking lot while trying to distract the shooters from the school. Kazih was the first to call 911.
Parishioners affectionately called Kazih "AbbulEzz" — "father of Ezz" in Arabic, in honor of his son Ezzat. According to Hassane, Kazih dedicated 40 years of his life to the mosque: he cared for the bookstore, handled organizational matters and prepared food for worshippers on Fridays and daily during Ramadan. Especially famous was his signature Syrian lentil puree soup, which many parishioners loved. "He was our grandfather — he was everything to us, honestly," Hassane said. "He was the pillar of the Islamic center."
Imam Mohammad Faqih, who led the Islamic Center of San Diego two decades ago, said Kazih was always around the mosque, "always helping and volunteering." "I can't even imagine the center without him," he said. "All seven imams who served here knew him well. He loved us all and respected us greatly."
The fund to help the families of the deceased had raised more than $500,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. A separate fundraiser for Abdulla's family, organized by the mosque and CAIR San Diego, raised more than $2 million.
"These were people who risked themselves for our mosque and our community," the mosque statement said. "People of courage, self-sacrifice and faith. Their absence will leave a void that cannot be filled. They were not just members of the community — they were family."
Muslim human rights advocates in recent months have warned of rising anti-Muslim sentiment, including from elected politicians. According to several organizations tracking hate crimes, the number of registered Islamophobic incidents rose sharply in 2025 compared with previous years.
The Muslim Public Affairs Council, which condemned the shooting as a "horrific anti-Muslim terrorist act," said it recorded an "unprecedented elevenfold increase in threats and attacks on American Muslims since January 2026."
The organization noted that anti-Muslim rhetoric from politicians and members of the Sharia Free America Caucus, formed in December 2025, has real consequences for American Muslims.
In 2025 CAIR received 8,683 civil rights complaints — the highest number since 1996, according to the organization's latest report. The group also recorded 33 incidents targeting American mosques and Islamic centers last year.
"The deadly attack on an American mosque was as predictable as it was unacceptable," CAIR said in a statement on Monday. "Anti-Muslim hatred remains one of the last socially acceptable forms of prejudice in American society, and it is long past time to end tolerance for such hatred."
A 2020 study by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding shows that most mosque leaders are concerned about the safety of their religious institutions, and more than a quarter are very concerned.
Source: Religion news sevice
