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By Daniella Silva and Daniel Arkin
Jihad Turk was at a gym in Los Angeles with his 16-year-old son on Thursday night when his mobile phone started buzzing with urgent messages from the country's Muslim leaders announcing the killing of two mosques in New Zealand.
Turk, 47, who was previously the imam of the Islamic Center of Southern California, said that he had quickly become "clear that there would be a large number of casualties". New Zealand authorities said 49 people were killed in the large-scale shootings during Friday's prayer. in Christchurch.
The Muslim leaders of the WhatsApp group talked to Turk about mental health resources, telling them how to deal with what was happening and "tips for protecting your mosque tomorrow," said Turk, president of Bayan Claremont, a graduate of 39, Islam school outside Los Angeles.
"I had an emotional challenge because I asked my 16 year old son to stay calm," said the father of four, his voice broken.
"I did not want him to be scared," he said.
As Muslims across America gathered for Friday prayers, worshipers struggled to find the words to express their shock and devastation after a terrorist attack thousands of kilometers away but also to find their way back. a terrifying way close to home. Some said they found comfort in community mourning; others said that they were determined to challenge the fear of being targeted too.
"I do not feel safe," said Meriem Hanade, 28, a student from France who prayed Friday at the Islamic Cultural Center in New York. "I was afraid to come."
Imams and other Muslim leaders sought to reassure communities in crisis while seeking to secure their places of worship. The threat of violence is not new to Muslims in a country where anti-immigrant sentiment is expressed at the highest level and mosques have been vandalized and targeted by attacks, but what happened in New Zealand has made it clear to many that additional protection is needed. In a statement Friday morning, the Council on US-Islamic Relations urged mosques, Islamic schools and other institutions to strengthen security.
Mohamed Omar, executive director of the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, said it was "a heartbreaking day."
The Minnesota Mosque was bombed by a group of white militia in August 2017. Nobody was killed, but the Imam's office was destroyed.
"I am very emotional right now. When we heard about this attack, we felt as if we were not safe in our own mosques, "he said.
In New Zealand, the main suspect in the massacre appeared to display a long manifesto filled with anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and white supremacist credentials and was described by the authorities as a "right-wing extremist terrorist".
In the United States, the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes has decreased slightly, from 307 in 2016 to 273 in 2017, but it is still up from the annual average of 144 from 2011 to 2014, according to the FBI .
Omar said his mosque was considering "definitely" to increase security.
"We also need our neighbors and friends, members of our community, to come together and show our vulnerable members, especially women and children, that they are safe at worship," he said. -he declares.
Hassan Jama, executive director of the Islamic Association of North America and general imam in Dar Al-Farooq, said he believed that "the country's mosques should hire armed security guards and take all possible measures to protect their followers. "
"We have to be vigilant," he said. "I also encourage all Muslims in the country to visit mosques this afternoon, to pray and practice their religion as they wish. Do not be afraid. "
The Islamic Center of Southern California, where Turk was the Imam, is no stranger to anti-Muslim extremism. In 2016, a man found with weapons and hundreds of kilograms of ammunition was charged with terrorist threats against the center.
Turk said the center had private security before the threats and has since stepped up its security measures. He recommended that other places of worship also have an armed security and work closely with local law enforcement agencies.
On Friday, police in US cities – including Los Angeles, New York and Chicago – announced the addition of additional resources around the mosques.
While the reinforced presence of the security forces reassured some of the faithful on Friday, others feared that this would provoke the apprehension of some Muslims because of the police surveillance and repressive actions in the area of violence. immigration imposed on their community.
"The presence of law enforcement forces outside the places of worship in some Muslim, Arab or South American communities will not necessarily make members of these communities feel safer," he said. said Suman Raghunathan, executive director of South Asian Americans, Leading Together, a non-profit organization defending the civil rights of South Asians in the United States
Raghunathan said that police surveillance and racial profiling in Muslim communities after September 11, 2001 made it difficult for some to trust the intentions of law enforcement officials.
"Much of this review has often been targeted in the past, especially in mosques," she said. "Many of our communities have not forgotten this dynamic".
Jama, the general imam in Dar Al-Farooq, said that there was a history of harassment and racial profiling, "Muslims are willing to collaborate with law enforcement and to ask their opinion. I would also invite them to train imams and mosque leaders. "
As mosques assessed their safety, Muslims gathered Friday for prayers. In Los Angeles, the Islamic Center planned to hold a vigil before traditional prayers.
"We want to offer them a sense of peace and security in this time of instability and fear," Turk said.
Since the shooting, Turk said he was contacted by rabbis, Christian leaders and other people expressing their support.
"We were overwhelmed," he said, "with both tragedy and solidarity."
Shaiann Frazier contributed.
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