Phoenix mosque is vandalized

The request was made by the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

"We were made aware of the situation today, and we are looking into this matter," FBI Special Agent Manuel Johnson said in an article for the Arizona Republic.

Representatives of the mosque suspect the broken glass and graffiti is related to the current anti-Muslim sentiment nationwide resulting from the controversy over a planned Islamic community center in New York City.

Paint was spilled on the floor and several tall, arched glass windows were broken by what appeared to be gunshots, Shami said. There was also anti-Muslim graffiti.

3-TV covers the story:

CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper says anti-Muslim rhetoric, the planned Quran burning in Florida and the 9/11 terror attacks anniversary make it reasonable to suspect the vandalism is linked to those events.

The mosque has been under construction near Interstate 17 and Glendale Avenue for a while.

Johnson, a media representative for the FBI Phoenix division, said he is not sure if the local investigation will be joined with the national investigation, but it is being determined by the Phoenix office.

"When we get information of a complaint with regards to a potential civil rights violation, we're going to assess the situation," Johnson said.