Gasoline Found At Mosque Site In Arlington Spurs Fears

June 12, 2009

Author: Jim Douglas

Source: WFAA-TV

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa090611_mo_gasoline.7081b6f6.html

Vandalism at construction sites is fairly common; but when a crescent moon sits atop the site, any incident can be viewed through the prism of fear.

Mouffa Nahhas is president of the mosque being built at Cooper Street and the Road to Six Flags in north Arlington.

He was called to the mosque Saturday morning.

"The fumes were very strong," he said of the smell of gasoline when he got to the site.

Nahhas said Friday night, someone cut through the fence, draped the inside of the mosque with drywall tape and left an open can of gasoline under the dome. Construction workers found the scene the next morning.

Nahhas said he can’t think of any reason for someone to bring gasoline into the mosque “except to burn it.” But, there was no fire.