Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center

Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center is a mosque in Bloomington, Minnesota. It first opened in 2011, when the Dar Al Farooq Center purchased a building that had previously been the site of Northgate Elementary School and Concordia High School.[2] The building that now houses the mosque was also sometimes used by a Lutheran church.[3]

Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Location
Location8201 Park Ave S., Bloomington, Minnesota[1]
StateMinnesota
CountryUnited States
Geographic coordinates44.854741, -93.264384

2017 bombing

On August 5, 2017, at about 5 a.m. local time, an improvised explosive device detonated near the mosque, damaging an imam's office and sending smoke throughout the building. No one was hurt in the explosion.[2][4] Mark Dayton, the governor of Minnesota, denounced the attack as "an act of terrorism" during a visit to the mosque.[5] President Trump and the White House were silent on the attack,[6] but Trump advisor Sebastian Gorka suggested it may have been a hoax orchestrated "by the left."[7][8]

On August 8, hundreds of Minnesotans gathered at a soccer field near the Islamic center in a show of solidarity with Muslim Americans. Jewish and Christian faith leaders, locals, state officials, and U.S. Senator Al Franken were all in attendance.[9]

On March 13, 2018, the FBI announced the arrest of three suspects in connection to the bombing. The suspects were identified as Michael Hari, 47, Michael McWhorter, 29, and Joe Morris, 22, all of Clarence, Illinois. McWhorter allegedly stated that the motivation behind the bombing was "'scare [Muslims] out of the United States'...because they push their beliefs on everyone else."[10] The four were arrested on charges of possession of a machine gun.[11]

References
  1. Chavey, S.M. (2017-08-07). "Bloomington bombing part of 'upward trend' of anti-Muslim incidents across U.S." Twin Cities. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  2. Montemayor, Stephen (2017-08-06). "FBI: 'Improvised explosive device' caused blast at Bloomington Islamic center". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  3. Du, Susan (2016-08-01). "Bloomington mosque-haters petition city to stomp down on Dar al Farooq". City Pages. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  4. Chuck, Elizabeth (2017-08-05). "Bomb blast shakes Minnesota mosque as worshipers prepare for prayers". NBC News. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  5. Bromwich, Jonah Engel (2017-08-07). "Minnesota Governor Calls Mosque Attack a 'Criminal Act of Terrorism'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  6. Lahu, Jake, "Trump's silence on Minnesota mosque attack prompts criticism", Politico, August 8, 2017.
  7. Fang, Marina (10 August 2017). "Trump Adviser Suggests Minnesota Mosque Attack Could Have Been Faked 'By The Left'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  8. AP, "Ellison Calls on Trump to Condemn Minnesota Mosque Bombing". The New York Times, August 9, 2017.
  9. Ansari, Talal (8 August 2017). "Hundreds Gather In Solidarity With Muslim Americans After Minnesota Mosque Bombing". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  10. "3 Illinois men charged in Bloomington mosque bombing".
  11. "3 arrested on gun charges suspected in Minnesota mosque bombing". Retrieved 2018-03-14.

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