Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center targeted in alleged arson attempt

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The Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations is offering $2,500 for any information leading to an arrest for an apparent arson attempt on a mosque on Sunday.

Damage at the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center occurred in the early morning hours, according to a news release. A GoFundMe has raised more than $10,000. In a post on the fundraiser, it says a masked individual “lit something in a bag and threw it inside our masjid and left within seconds.”

The mosque opened in 2004 when about a dozen people began praying at a member’s house. The following year, they purchased a two-story house where worship services were being held regularly until the alleged arson. Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Center president Masukul Islam Khan said the mosque is more than a place of worship.

“It is a welcoming community center that has served families, neighbors, and people of all backgrounds for many years,” Khan said in a statement. “Any act of violence or hatred directed at a house of worship is an attack on the values of safety, religious freedom, and unity that our city cherishes.”

Currently, more than 500 people gather for services on Fridays, with attendees often overflowing onto the driveway and sidewalk. The fundraiser is aiming to raise $500,000 to build a new mosque, which is estimated to cost $2.8 million.

CAIR-Philadelphia has called on investigators to “pursue every available lead” and is urging elected officials, faith leaders and community organizations to voice their opposition to the attack.

“An attack on any house of worship is an attack on the constitutional promise of religious freedom that belongs to every American,” Executive director Ahmet Tekelioglu said. “It’s additionally saddening that this attack came just as the nation commemorated the 250th year of its founding.”

According to CAIR’s latest civil rights report, the organization identified 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025, the highest recorded since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.