Imam of San Diego Islamic Center says his community has seen a rise in Islamophobia: "We are not naive"

TL;DR

The imam of the San Diego Islamic Center highlighted a rise in Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment, noting it has been observed for several years.
A shooting at the mosque resulted in the deaths of three congregants: Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nader Awad.
Abdullah, a security guard, was credited with preventing the shooters from accessing classrooms, and his actions were called heroic.
Kaziha was described as a pillar of the community, and Awad attempted to protect others when the shooting began.
The mosque's Al Rashid School was in session during the attack, but no students or staff were harmed.
Reports from civil rights groups like CAIR indicate a significant increase in anti-Muslim and antisemitic incidents, particularly after the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The imam stated that his community, numbering over 100,000 in San Diego, is peaceful and faithful.
He expressed confidence that the community will remain strong, continue civic involvement, and foster interfaith connections despite the tragedy.

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