DEARBORN —  According to Imam Mohamad Mardini of the American Muslim Center here the people suspected in being involved in a case of vandalism that occurred Tuesday have been identified by Dearborn Police. Mardini says the suspects are young, and probably high school students. 

The FBI is currently investigating the case that included a fire and anti-Arab graffiti targeting a structure that’s affiliated with American Muslim Center of Dearborn. According to reports graffiti with the word “Arabs” was found on the building. The FBI said the agency takes such crimes seriously. Dearborn is widely known for its large concentration of Arab Americans. 

When the incident occurred the storage structure of the Muslim Community Center owned by the nearby American Muslim Center caught fire. Upon arriving at the center, Mardini discovered white-painted graffiti of male genitalia and dashes arching in the form of a rainbow toward the word “Arabs.” There is not enough evidence to determine whether it was a hate crime according to Dearborn police. 

Speaking to the Arab American News, Mardini said there are much misconceptions surrounding Islam being spread and affecting the way society views the faith. He says such misconceptions could have triggered the incident. 

Mardini noted that often times candidates running for office will create misunderstandings about Islam, as a fear tactic to sway in voters. 

A Dearborn Fire Marshal said the cause of the fire has not been officially labeled arson. The Dearborn Police Department is completing its investigation, before making a final determination. 

Regarding the vandalism ACCESS Executive Director Hassan Jaber said, “Dearborn is a community of people from diverse backgrounds who live and thrive together, so the possibility of a hate crime in our midst is particularly jarring. As our nation stands on the threshold of a national election, too many have used that as an excuse to capitalize on divisive rhetoric. Dearborn stands as a model

community. We commend the FBI for its prompt response to this incident and we encourage the law enforcement system to carry out a full and fair investigation. At the same time, we encourage all Dearborn residents to be patient as this investigation unfolds.”The American Muslim Center purchased the community center, a former church, about five years ago. 

Police say it’s still uncertain whether the graffiti could have been there before the fire occurred. Information on exactly what was written was forwarded to the Dearborn Police gang squad. 

The Michigan Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations called on the FBI to investigate the situation for a possible bias motive for a fire and hate graffiti. 

“If a bias motive is revealed in this case, the FBI should add its resources to those of local law enforcement authorities to help bring the perpetrators to justice,” said Dawud Walid, CAIR-MI executive director. He says similar incidents targeting mosques have occurred nationwide.