Muslim community in San Diego, United States, is in mourning after a\ndeadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday (18 May\n2026). The tragedy, which claimed three lives, has raised concerns about\na surge in Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment in the region.<\/p>\n
Imam Taha Hassane, leader of the centre, said his community has\nsensed an uptick in white supremacist activity in recent years. \u2018We all\nrecognise the rise of white supremacism in San Diego and across the\ncountry,\u2019 Hassane told reporters on Tuesday (19 May 2026).<\/p>\n
Authorities said two suspects, aged 17 and 18, opened fire at the\nmosque before being found dead in a vehicle on a nearby street. San\nDiego Police are investigating the massacre as a hate crime.<\/p>\n
Three victims in the incident were identified as: During the\nshooting, Al Rashid School, which teaches Islamic studies and Arabic,\nwas in a teaching session.<\/p>\n
Imam Hassane emphasised that Amin Abdullah\u2019s swift actions prevented\nthe attackers from entering classroom spaces.<\/p>\n
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl praised Abdullah\u2019s actions as\nheroic and said they undoubtedly saved many lives. Along with Abdullah,\nKaziha and Awad are said to have sacrificed their lives while attempting\nto protect the community and promptly contacting authorities when the\nshots were heard.<\/p>\n
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reported receiving\n8,683 civil rights complaints nationwide in 2025, the highest since\nrecords began in 1996, indicating a significant rise in anti-Muslim\nincidents following conflicts in the Middle East.<\/p>\n
Despite the blow, Imam Hassane stressed that the San Diego Muslim\ncommunity, numbering over 100,000, will rise stronger and has received\nbroad support from various religious denominations in San Diego.<\/p>\n
\u2018This will not stop us from being present, from engaging civically\nand politically, and from continuing to build bridges with interfaith\ncommunities,\u2019 Hassane concluded.<\/p>\n
To date, police are continuing to probe the motive behind the attack,\nwhile security around places of worship in San Diego has been stepped up\nto prevent similar incidents in the future.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/san-diego-shooting-mosque-imam-highlights-surge-in-islamophobia-1779545691", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }