LODI, CA: Two weeks ago. The Mosque in Lodi was the site of an attempt to intimidate the Muslim community in this city of central California. Upon arrival at the house of worship, the Imam and his staff found a swastika burned into the lawn as well as broken windows and graffiti saying “White power” and “Go home Muslim or die.
But his week, students and staff at the community’s oldest high School are working to ensure that racist attacks like those at Lodi’s Muslim Mosque never happen again.
Lodi High School teachers devoted their sixth period classes to exploring the subject of respect and listened to how teens feel about the arrests of four fellow students accused of hate crimes.
Four students, ages 16 and 17, were arrested earlier this week in the desecrations of the mosque in cast Lodi. The teens, whose names are not released because of their ages, are accused of burning a swastika into the front lawn of the mosque, throwing firecrackers and a smoke bomb and spray-painting phrases. Police said they suspect the desecration is part of a growing white supremacist movement on the campus. “We were aware of individuals, but we were never aware of any sort of organized activity,” said Principal Kelly Staley. “We’re going to take a real hard stand on this.”
Police. Said one of the teens arrested had an altercation with a youth believed to be of Middle Eastern background that spurred him to target the mosque? The boys all watched a recent MTV special that explored the white supremacist and Nazi movements before the first of three attacks on the mosque, according to Police Chief Larry Hansen.
Chris Taurman, a student body president at Lodi High, said he was disappointed that students at his school are suspects in the desecrations. “We’d like to do anything that we can, including helping pay for the damage or fixing the yard.”
Taurman and senior Bassel and Mardini visited the mosque this week and offered to organize a work party to make repairs. “We also want to stress that it was just a couple of students.”
Imam Yusuf Bhula said he was touched by the students’ visit and the numerous calls and visits from other church leaders and community members. “We appreciate all the help and effort,” he said. “So many people have offered services. What we want students to know is that if they have a problem with a Pakistani student, they should not attack the mosque. This is a place of religious services.”
Article extracted from this publication >> August 20, 1993
