INVESTIGATING A SUSPECTED ARSON FIRE EARLIER THIS WEEK AT THE OROMO AMERICAN TAWHID ISLAMIC CENTER IN ST. PAUL.

THAT MOSQUE SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BUT NO PEOPLE WERE INJURED.

A 42-YEAR-OLD MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THAT SUSPECTED CRIME.

IS AND CHARGE WITH ARSON >> THIS WAS THE SIXTH ATTACK ON A MUSLIM HOUSE OF WORSHIP SO FAR THIS YEAR.

JOINING ME NOW WITH MORE IS JAYLANI HUSSEIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MINNESOTA CHAPTER OF THE COUNCIL ON AMERICAN-ISLAMIC RELATIONS.

THE SUSPECT HERE IS A MUSLIM.

>> WELL, WE DON'T KNOW.

UNITED STATES NOT SURE?

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS LATEST ONE?

>> I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED.

AT THIS POINT, RIGHT NOW, WE WILL OLD OFF UNTIL WE LEARN MORE INFORMATION.

WE HAD THIS HAPPEN BEFORE, IN 2021, WE HAD AN INCIDENT IN MOORHEAD, A YOUNG MAN WHO ATTACKED ONE OF OUR MOSQUES AND THEN INITIALLY SAID HE DID IT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO GET ATTENTION AND HE LIKES MUSLIMS.

AND THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER, WE FOUND OUT HE HAD 14 WEAPONS AT HIS HOME AND BELONGED TO A GROUP OF THREE PEOPLE THAT HAD BEEN SAYING THINGS ABOUT MUSLIMS, AND SO WE'LL WAIT OFF BUT I THINK EARLIER -- JUST BASICALLY WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO GATHER, APARTMENT TO BE A COPY-CAT.

OBVIOUSLY THIS INDIVIDUAL HAD MANY ISSUES AND SOME FORM OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND SO -- AND THAT'S A CONCERN FOR US THAT WE WEREN'T REALLY THINKING ABOUT AT ALL.

>> Cathy: THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL FIRES.

DO YOU KNOW, ARE THE OTHER ONES CONNECTED AT ALL?

>> NOT REALLY, BUT WE WANT TO FIND OUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT IS POTENTIALLY INKITING AND WE'VE ASKED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THAT, IF SOMETHING'S ONLINE OR SOMETHING WE'RE NOT GAUGING.

IT'S A HORRIBLE TRENDS.

NINE LAST YEAR, THAT'S THE MOST IN THE COUNTRY.

SIXTH YEAR, AND THEY SPAN FROM THE URBAN COMMUNITIES AS FAR AS GREATER MINNESOTA.

AND THIS IS -- PUTS US IN A REALLY UNEASY SITUATION BUT OUR COMMUNITY IS EXTREMELY -- >> Cathy: I WAS GOING TO ASK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY.

ARE THEY WORRIED ABOUT NOT GOING TO WORSHIP BECAUSE OF FEAR AT ALL OR -- >> OUR COMMUNITY IS VERY RESILIENT.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE LIVING IN A WORLD WHERE MUSLIMS HAVE BEEN TARGETED FOR A LONG TIME.

I THINK THE STRENGTH OF THESE ATTACKS HAVE REALLY DEFINITELY SHAKEN UR COMMUNITIES AND THAT PUTS US IN A POSITION WE WANT TO DO MORE SECURITY.

>> Eric: St. PAUL MAYOR CARTER HAS PLEDGED SOME MONEY FOR SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT.

IS THAT A POSITIVE STEP?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN SOME CAMERAS AND THINGS, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS DO BASIC LEVEL AND WE'VE ASKED BOTH HOUSE SPEAKER, MAJORITY LEADER, BOTH OF THEM ABOUT SOME LAST-MINUTE FUNDING TO -- THAT CAN HELP US.

>> Eric: THE 7.5 MILLION.

>> 7.5 MILLION, JUST 150 HOUSE OF WORSHIP, CHURCHES, SYNAGOGUES THAT COULD AT LEAST USE THE BASIC LEVEL, WHICH THIS ZAWHID DIDN'T HAVE THEIR CAMERAS WORKING SO EACH THE BASIC AMOUNT OF SUPPORT THAT WE COULD GET.

>> Eric: ARE YOU FEELING THAT MINNESOTA IS UNFRIENDLY TO FOLKS OF YOUR RELIGION OR WHERE DO YOU PUT IT IN THE WHOLE KIND OF DYNAMICS OF THE STATE?

>> WELL, IT'S THE OPPOSITE.

MINNESOTA IS A VERY WELCOMING PLACE, MANY FOLKS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE WELCOMED US, MINNESOTA HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL, MANY MUSLIMS HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN MINNESOTA.

I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A VERY IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY AND SADLY BUT THE ANTI-MUSLIM COMMUNITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY CONTINUES TO TARGET MINNESOTA, SO THERE IS A LOT MORE CHATTER ABOUT OUR STATE THAT SOMETIMES WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO.

THAT WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO SOME PEOPLE ONLINE AND, THEREFORE, CREATE THESE KIND OF TENSIONS, SO -- AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE KNEW.

ELECTION OF CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR, SHE GETS DEATH THREATS ALL THE TIME.

THE MAN WHO'S BEEN ARRESTED FORTH OTHER TWO MOSQUES, HE WAS TARGETING HER OFFICE MULTIPLE TIMES, SENDING HER EMAILS SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE NOTICING THAT CONGRESSWOMAN ILHAN OMAR AND THE TASH GETTING OF HER NATIONALLY ALSO BRINGS ADDITIONAL PRESSURE TO OUR COMMUNITY HERE.

>> Cathy: SO I'M WONDERING HERE, YOU MENTIONED MONEY TO KIND OF BOLSTER SECURITY.

WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE?

>> WELL, I THINK THIS IS A MOMENTS WHERE WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S MUCH MUCH WORSE NOW THAN THE FOUR YEARS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE RESPONSE AND REACTION HAND BEEN THE SAME.

LAST YEAR NINE MOSQUES AND MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T REALLY REACT.

WE NEED THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO REELS THAT WE ALL NEED TO TAKE CARE OF REALLY WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT ISLAMOPHOBIA IS HERE AND PEOPLE THEY WOULD TO STEP UP.

UNITED STATES SOLIDARITY EVENT ON SUNDAY.

>> >> WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY COME TOGETHER, WE CANNOT LET HATE WIN.

WE ALSO NEED TO SLOW SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER AND THERE WILL BE AN OUTDOOR EVENT OUTSIDE THE MOSQUE AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO