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Thursday 03 Dec 2015 - 12:05 Makkah mean time-21-2-1437
 Los Angeles, (IINA) – The greater Los Angeles area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) called on the FBI to investigate as a hate crime an incident in which an apparently bullet-riddled copy of the Qur’an was found outside of an Islamic clothing store.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organization said that the owner of Al-Farah Islamic clothing in Anaheim, Calif., found the English translation of the Qur’an pierced with multiple holes and hanging on the front door of the store Tuesday morning. The owner of the store immediately contacted CAIR-LA and the Anaheim Police Department, which is now investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. Surveillance video of the area has yet to be reviewed. Several months ago, an unidentified individual shattered a store window. Police are investigating whether the two incidents are related.
“Anyone has the right to be a bigot, but when that bigotry is expressed through the targeting of individuals or businesses through acts of intimidation similar to a cross burning it crosses the line into criminal behavior,” said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. “If you shoot up a Qur’an on your own property that is bigoted freedom of expression. If you deliver that bullet-riddled Qur’an to a Muslim home or business that is an act of intimidation and a hate crime.”
The Washington-based Muslim civil rights group is also asking Muslim community members to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department.
SM/IINA
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