The leaders of a Northeast Washington mosque say they will begin locking the doors of their place of worship after someone ripped down bookcases, damaged holy books and paintings, and smashed windows.
The incident happened some time Monday evening at the Ivy City Masjid in the 2000 block of Gallaudet Street NE. The director of the mosque says he will not only begin locking doors, but will install cameras.
"I don't like [installing the cameras]. When people are worshiping to put cameras, but I guess we have to start going that, [bringing] more security and cameras into the mosque," Mohammed Mobaidin, who founded the mosque nearly 20 years ago, said.
Police said they do not believe this was a hate crime because there were other incidents in the Ivy City neighborhood around the same time, including a car being vandalized.
"I would like to see the person caught, but not prosecuted. I'd like to find out why he did that," Mobaidin said.
