West Sacramento Islamic Center Vandalized Again

WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - The West Sacramento Islamic Center was vandalized overnight and leaders there are calling it a hate crime.

The center is under construction, being rebuilt, but leaders fear it won't ever get done if someone doesn't stop damaging their sacred place.

Abdul Karim Yusufzai on Saturday showed CBS13 the damage done by vandals, vandals he's convinced are filled with hate.

"It is hate," he said. "They know this is a community center, a religious building."

Abdul is the president of the center. A window was shattered sometime on Friday. This follows six security camers being ripped from the building two weeks ago.

"I'm very sad," he said. "I'm disappointed."

Before going dark, those cameras captured two men, one seen clearly reaching for the camera.

And it doesn't stop there. Three years ago, vandals broke into the previous Islamic center, tearing pictures off the wall and damaging their Quran. No arrests were made in that case.

"We have our the right to be here and our religion is a peaceful religion," Abdul said. "We are not attacking people so in this neighborhood always we are under attack."

Abdul is now asking for help, hoping soon they can pray in peace.

"Some of the community members have a bad feeling of their presence here," he said.