US: $120K raised in 9 hours after fire guts mosque

By Canberk Yuksel

NEW YORK (AA) - More than 2,600 people donated Saturday to rebuild a mosque in Victoria, Texas after a fire tore through the complex.

"We will rebuild, with LOVE!" said the Facebook page of Victoria Islamic Center, with pictures showing a massive blaze and black smoke billowing over the structure.

A gofundme.com campaign to fund the rebuilding of the mosque -- which has a congregation of approximately hundred people -- had already reached one fourth of its $450,000 goal by Saturday afternoon, raising $119,670 in nine hours.

An investigation into the fire at the local and federal level -- including by the FBI -- is underway, as a cause has yet to be determined.

Messages of support for the mosque poured in Saturday on the social media platform and the gofundme page.

Cody Cluff, who donated $27 to the campaign, wrote: "Many of your countrymen love and appreciate you and those of the Muslim faith. You are a beautiful part of our community, and I'm sorry for the hatred that was done on you. May you be blessed with courage, strength, and peace."

Betsy Brune said: "We are so sorry about your mosque. We will stand up for our fellow Americans who simply want to live and worship as they please. This is the primary promise of our country."

The mosque's management thanked for the support on its Facebook page. "The outpouring support from our wonderful Victoria community and all over the nation have been phenomenal! UNITED WE STAND! Please don't politicize the tragedy! Stay United," they wrote.

Anti-Islamic attacks have been on the rise since the Nov. 8 election of Donald Trump into U.S. presidency. President Trump has been a vocal critic of government policies against what he calls "radical Islamic terrorism", promising and implementing a number of measures against it.

They include an executive order limiting refugee flow into the U.S. from seven Muslim-majority countries and bringing "extreme vetting" to ID check procedures, as well as a proposal to have a Muslim registry.