Honoring the San Diego Shooting Martyrs | | |
Dear Community Members and Friends,
As-Salaamu Alaikum,
This week, our hearts are with the families of the three men killed in the horrific shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, the children and worshippers who survived, and the entire San Diego Muslim community now carrying the weight of this trauma.
A masjid and school should be places of peace, where families gather, children learn, and people come to worship without fear. What happened in San Diego was an attack on those basic truths.
Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha, and Nadir Awad were beloved members of their community who sacrificed their lives defending the masjid and school from the attack. All three are remembered for their courage, service, and devotion to the Islamic Center of San Diego community. Amin served as the masjid’s security guard and acted quickly to protect others during the attack. Community members have also described Nadir coming to the masjid to help protect those inside after Amin was shot. Mansour had cared for the Islamic Center of San Diego since 1986. Together, they were part of the life and fabric of the community they helped protect and sustain.
Please keep the victims, their families, the masjid, and every child and worshipper impacted by this attack in your duas.
May Allah grant these martyrs the highest level of Jannah, bring comfort to their families, and give our communities the strength to continue working for a future where every person can worship, gather, and live without fear.
Sincerely,
Zahra Billoo, Esq.
Executive Director
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Join Us for Community Vigils in Fremont and Pleasanton
Here in the Bay Area, CAIR-SFBA, MCC East Bay, local Muslim community leaders, elected officials, and interfaith partners will take part in community vigils today and tomorrow to mourn the victims of the Islamic Center of San Diego shooting and call for safety, dignity, and accountability.
Fremont Interfaith Community Vigil
- Thursday, May 21 | 6:00pm to 7:00pm
- Veterans Memorial Park, corner of Walnut Ave. and Paseo Padre Blvd., Fremont
Pleasanton Community Vigil
- Friday, May 22 | 4:30pm to 6:30pm
- MCC East Bay, 5724 W. Las Positas Blvd. #300, Pleasanton
- Parking is available in the Pleasanton Unified School District lot.
- The vigil will also be livestreamed at mcceastbay.org/live.
In moments like this, gathering matters. It gives us space to grieve together, support one another, and make clear that our communities will not face this moment alone.
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Anti-Muslim Hate Has Real Consequences
As our communities mourn, we must also demand accountability.
This attack comes amid a dangerous rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric and dehumanization. When elected officials and public figures treat Muslims, our mosques, our schools, and our civic participation as threats, that language does not remain confined to hearings, press conferences, or social media. It shapes the climate our communities are forced to live in every single day.
That is why this week, CAIR-SFBA has been speaking with local media about the real consequences of anti-Muslim hate and the urgent need for public officials to help end its normalization. Our role is not only to respond after tragedy strikes, but to challenge the systems, rhetoric, and policies that put Muslim communities at risk in the first place.
Below are some of the interviews and stories where CAIR-SFBA helped name the dangers clearly and call for accountability.
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Turn Grief Into Action
Even in our grief, our community has the power to act.
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Make Your Voice Heard: CAIR National has launched an action alert urging community members and allies to call on Congress to condemn the San Diego mosque attack and the anti-Muslim hate that fueled it. We encourage you to make your voice heard and demand that elected officials protect—not endanger—American Muslim communities.
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Support the Families of the Victims: You can also support the families of the three men killed through the LaunchGood appeal organized by CAIR-San Diego and the Islamic Center of San Diego. Funds will help cover funeral costs, immediate household needs, children’s education, long-term financial stability for surviving spouses, and trauma counseling for those left behind.
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Staying Safe While Staying Connected to Our Masajid
Our masajid are meant to be safe spaces of prayer, learning, family, and community—and with the right preparation, we can help keep them that way.
One of the best ways to protect our community is by:
- Knowing what to do.
- Practicing safety plans.
- Making sure our masajid have the resources they need before an emergency happens.
CAIR offers a Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety booklet to help religious facilities strengthen safety protocols, build a security plan, and respond if they are targeted by a hate incident or hate crime. While the guide was created with mosques in mind, its recommendations can also help other houses of worship and community institutions prepare.
Watch the Mosque Safety Webinar
To help communities put these safety practices into action, CAIR is also providing training for religious leaders and community organizations.
Yesterday, CAIR hosted a webinar titled Protecting Your Mosques: What Every Mosque Needs to Know and Do, featuring experts in mosque safety, community security, crisis preparedness, and threat prevention.
A recording of the webinar is now available by request and is especially helpful for imams, mosque board members, school administrators, community organizers, security volunteers, youth leaders, houses of worship, and nonprofit organizations.
Safety planning is not about giving in to fear. It is about making sure our communities can continue to gather, worship, and show up for one another with greater confidence and care.
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These sacred days pass quickly. Set up your daily gift now and let your generosity continue through all ten.
If daily giving is not possible, a one-time gift is deeply appreciated and urgently needed.
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CAIR-SFBA
3350 Scott Blvd., Bldg. 48
Santa Clara, CA 95054
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