For the second time in about a month, a mosque in Joplin, Missouri caught fire on Monday, but this time it was burned to the ground.
KODE first reported that firefighters responded to a fire at the Islamic Center of Joplin, but the flames quickly spread and engulfed the building. There were no reports of injuries.
The fire marshal has been called to investigate, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said.
The FBI recently announced a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrested of a man is who suspected of arson after a July 4 fire was set on the roof of the same building. Surveillance video captured footage of a man throwing a burning object onto the roof.
“We just take this as a test from God,” Imam Lahmuddin, the mosque’s imam, told The Joplin Globe on Monday. “This is the month of Ramadan. We are fasting we are not supposed to get angry, we are not supposed to say anything bad.”
“But that’s not only for this month, but for every day of our lives. In Ramadan we are more careful in guarding our tongues, not to say anything inappropriate. We come here during the month of Ramadan more often. Last night we left at about 11:20 p.m. when we finished final prayers and we were supposed to get in here about 5 a.m. for the morning prayer. But God has a plan.”
Watch this video from KSN, broadcast Aug. 6, 2012.
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