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November 10, 2005
US: Man Shoots Cars Outside Philadelphia Mosque
A report from Penn Live details the story of one Robert Blackburn, a 53 local resident (pictured) who shot up two cars parked outside the North Penn Mosque in Lansdale, in Montgomery County.
The incident happened early on Tuesday morning, before 3.45 am, which is the time the police arrived. Blackburn was in a car nearby. He attempted to drive off when police started to question him, but he was later stopped. Inside his car was found a .22 caliber rifle and a large amount of spent and unused ammunition, with more in his coat pockets.
He has been charged, according to WFMZ with ethnic intimidation. The cars, a Honda Accord and an old Lincoln received a total of 52 bullet holes in the assault. One belonged to a religious leader at the mosque and the other to a member of the mosque congregation.
"He's not known to us. I don't think we've ever seen him before. ... No one was outside, thank God. This is very serious." said Shams Huda who works with the mosque.
Blackburn had been held in the Montgomery County Prison with bail set at $50,000 cash. The mosque has had incidents of abuse and minor harrassments, such as people walking on the roof, and eggs being thrown, but this is the most serious case of intimidation.
The mosque has tried to make itself integrated with the community, and occasionally have festivities where, as in their annual "Community Day" according to one report, the visitors are encouraged to eat and feel part of the set-up, leading to visitors making comments afterwards such as:
"It's a wonderful learning experience," Manta said of the Community Day. "I didn't realize the similarity between Islam and Christianity is so strong," he said referring to Islam's reverence for figures like Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ."Oh dear... The poor kid didn't learn too much, then.
During the summer, the mosque had free car-washing every Monday afternoon for the elderly residents of Elm Terrace Gardens.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 10, 2005 7:27 PM
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