AJC Condemns Attempted Firebombings in Queens

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Jan 02, 2012, 12:35 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC condemned the attacks on Muslim and Hindu houses of worship, two of four vile acts of violence in a Queens neighborhood that the New York Police Department is investigating as possible bias crimes.

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"Violence, for whatever reason, targeting a mosque or temple is an outrage against American society and values, and an affront to the cherished diversity of New York, home to an extraordinary array of ethnic and faith communities," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "We have every confidence that the NYPD will do its utmost to quickly apprehend those responsible for all four acts of violence, and to determine if any of the attacks were indeed motivated by bias."

A Molotov cocktail tossed at a mosque damaged the front door, while two similar devices thrown at a house used for Hindu worship burned out before causing any damage. The other despicable attacks in Jamaica, Queens, involved a private home owned by an African American Christian family, which was extensively damaged in the ensuing fire, and a store.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee