Leaders of the city’s Muslim community are calling on authorities to investigate an arson at a Northeast Philadelphia mosque as a possible hate crime.

Firefighters and police officers responded just before 2:15 a.m. Sunday, July 5, to a fire at Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center, located on the 1400 block of Tyson Avenue in the Castor Gardens neighborhood, law enforcement officials said.

The building was unoccupied, and no one was injured, according to police.

Investigators said the blaze originated in the mosque’s enclosed front porch, and photos shared by the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) show significant damage to the area.

Representatives from Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center said, in a GoFundMe post, that surveillance footage shows a masked person igniting something inside a bag and throwing it into the building. Fire investigators declared the incident an arson, the PPD stated.

“Our mosque is more than a place of worship,” the center’s president, Masukul Islam Khan, said in a statement. “It is a welcoming community center that has served families, neighbors, and people of all backgrounds for many years. Any act of violence or hatred directed at a house of worship is an attack on the values of safety, religious freedom, and unity that our city cherishes.”

Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center was started more than two decades ago and moved into a house on Tyson Avenue in 2005. The organization has been raising money to build a new mosque on the site to relieve overcrowding, according to the GoFundMe.

Legislative leaders who represent the neighborhood – state Sen. Christine Tartaglione, state Rep. Anthony Bellmon and City Councilmember Anthony Phillips – said in a joint statement that the center “is a vital part of our community that has welcomed families, served neighbors, and brought people together for many years.”

“An attack on this mosque is an attack on the fundamental right of every Pennsylvanian to practice their faith freely and safely,” they wrote. “We stand united in rejecting hatred and reaffirming that our community is stronger because of its diversity.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro, Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle are among the other elected officials who have denounced the arsonist.

“Houses of worship must be places of peace and safety, not targets for violence or intimidation,” Boyle said. “I am grateful that no one was injured, but the fear caused by this attack is very real.”

City Commissioner Omar Sabir, CAIR Philadelphia and others are holding an “Interfaith Unity Press Conference” at the mosque following Dhuhr prayer Wednesday afternoon. Sabir intends to personally put up a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the arson suspect, matching a sum previously offered by CAIR.

Ahmet Tekelioglu, CAIR Philadelphia’s executive director, said that it’s “saddening that this attack came just as the nation commemorated the 250th year of its founding.”

“We urge law enforcement to conduct a comprehensive investigation into this apparent arson attempt, including the possibility that it was motivated by anti-Muslim bias,” he added.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call or text the police tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477).

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