Miami Gardens Muslim imam receives more protection for his mosque
MIAMI - A South Florida imam is speaking out about a threat to his mosque. Now he and members of his clergy are calling for more police protection.
At least five times a day, Muslims who worship at the Islamic Center of Miami located in Miami Gardens will gather to pray. Led by Imam Abdul Samra, the prayers start as early as 5 a.m. It was someone coming in for morning prayer that may have thwarted an attack.
"When he was about to enter the main gate, he saw a car with two people, one was a driver, and the other one came out with a machete and tried to enter from the main gate," said Samra.
The incident happened just outside their camera's scope. The men drove off.
Since October 7th, the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has documented an increase in Islamophobia and threats towards the Muslim community.
Imam Samra said his members are fearful, especially the women.
"Our members and congregation are very concerned, very scared too, and especially when it comes to our sisters, the woman, especially those who are with the hijab which they cover also, they are very scared because they can be identified easily," said Samra.
At a recent city of Miami Gardens council meeting Corey Shearer, a member of the mosque, spoke compassionately asking for prayers and police protection.
"There have been many issues. Many of the students have been dealing with feeling threatened within schools. We just ask that you keep everybody in your prayers and that we continue to be good neighbors together," said Shearer.
Miami Gardens Police Chief Delma Noel Pratt said her officers are doing more.
"As a result of that, we have done high visibility patrol surveillances, and just encourage the folks to conduct local sessions here at the mosque," she said.
Imam Samra says he has seen a definite decline in attendance, especially at the prayer meetings. His hope is with a proactive approach to increase police protection that more members return.