By A fire erupted in the Islamic Society of Santa Barbara, C.A. over President’s Day weekend, a 30,000 square foot structure that also serves as a roofing company and private storage facility.
Mike Eliason, a Fire Department spokesman, told the LA Times that it was too early to determine the cause of the fire. No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
According to the ISSB website, there are a few things that we know:
- “The cause is currently still under investigation however arson is not suspected.
- The fire began in an office on the north facing side of the building, we are on the southwestern corner.
- The fire did not seem to reach Suite H (where ISSB is located) but there is substantial smoke and water damage.
- The fire has weakened the structural integrity of the building and it is unsure whether future operations will continue at this location.”
More than 50 firefighters from across the county were required to fight the flames.
The Islamic Society of Santa Barbara recently started construction on a permanent home, part of a multi-year initiative that would serve as the only freestanding mosque in between Newbury Park and San Luis Obispo, a distance of nearly 150 miles.
While the fire is devastating for a community readily on edge about potential attacks and hate crimes, it has highlighted a sense of community and even safety experienced by many Muslims in Santa Barbara.
The tragedy occurs just weeks after the Davis Islamic Center was targeted with broken windows and bacon, and a few months after an elderly worshipper was stabbed near a mosque in Simi Valley for which a man was arrested and charged with the intent of carrying out a massive attack on the Islamic Center of Southern California.
While the fire is devastating for a community readily on edge about potential attacks and hate crimes, it has highlighted a sense of community and even safety experienced by many Muslims in Santa Barbara.
In speaking to Aida Aminzai, founder of The Blessed Tree Foundation and wife of ISSB’s Imam, she said, “I actually saw a police cruiser with his lights flashing behind me and he turned into Ward Ave and my first thought was, what if it’s the mosque…what if someone broke in…”
“When I first heard about the fire, of course many thoughts, including arson, ran through my mind,” she said. “But I actually felt very confident that arson could not have been the cause. We are a very fortunate to live in a supportive community.”
While the pervasive fear of hate crimes rooted in Islamophobia remain, she said, “We have had overwhelming support and love from our SB community and the many many social justice organizations.”
Aida has already been contacted by several local organizations that want to offer ISSB with a temporary space for prayer and children’s classes. The outpouring of love has been overwhelming.
The Islamic Society of Santa Barbara is currently seeking donations for the immediate needs of the community and towards building a permanent home.
So sad 🙁 I went to UCSB and the Muslim community there was awesome.