US MOSQUE’S MAIN DOOR TORCHED

Houston, July 20: The front door of a mosque was set on fire by some unidentified persons in a possible hate crime incident here on Friday, prompting US authorities to declare a cash reward of $5,000 for information leading to the culprits.

The incident was reported in the early hours at the ISGH Northshore Masjid Isa Ibn Maryam mosque.

The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime after the front door of the the mosque was torched.

A caretaker who lives in the property heard the fire alarm and ran to investigate.

He extinguished the fire before it could spread to other parts, media reports said.

He, however, did not see anyone.

According to Rachel Moreno, spokeswoman for the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office, the door was doused in a flammable liquid.

“Nobody has said anything about any enemies, but we can tell from the pattern on the door and just the fact that there was no electricity or anything else in the area that it was intentionally started,” Moreno said.

Authorities have declared a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the culprits.

The tyres of the vehicle of a cleric were also slashed during the incident, officials added.

— PTI