Rocks through several windows at Prince George's mosque did not cause concern in the local Islamic community.
No message was sent along with the rocks, said Dr. Firas Mansour, one of the leaders of the BC Muslim Association's Prince George chapter, the group behind the ongoing construction of the new church and community centre at the corner of 5th Avenue and Foothills Boulevard.
"I think it was probably just a childish thing, just rocks through windows. They got an opportunity one night," he said. "It think it was just an act of vandalism and probably there is no sure solution for that."
The mosque has been under construction for months and is within a couple of weeks of completion, said Mansour. Most of the remaining work is interior finishing and landscaping. The rocky debris around the work site was readily available to the vandals.
Although the damage is costly to the fledgling congregation, Mansour does not sense a reactive defensiveness following the damage. The group may contemplate some additional security measures, but nothing drastic.
"We are trying not to put a fence around, so it is open for the community," he said. "You can't prevent it if someone is determined to do it. We're hoping not too many people in town are determined to damage other people's property just for fun."
The mosque will open its doors for a public open house once the construction is finished, said Mansour.
