Man charged with setting Houston mosque fire says he was a devout attendee
Source: Houston Chronicle
A Houston man has been arrested in connection with a suspected arson at a mosque on Christmas Day, but the motive for the crime remains a mystery, with the suspect maintaining he was a regular at the mosque.
A spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that the suspect, 37-year-old Gary Nathaniel Moore of Houston, was arrested early Wednesday. Moore appeared in court at 7 a.m., spokeswoman Nicole Strong said, and bond was set at $100,000.
According to a charging instrument released by the Harris County District Clerk, Moore told investigators at the scene that he has attended the storefront mosque for five years, coming five times per day to pray seven days per week.
Moore said he had been at the mosque earlier on Dec. 25 to pray, and had left at about 2 p.m. to go home, according to authorities and court papers. Moore said he was the last person to leave the mosque and saw no smoke or other signs of fire when he departed, authorities said. He maintained he had returned to the scene after hearing about the fire from a friend.
MJ Khan, president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, which operates the mosque, said he was unfamiliar with Moore. "We are just looking into it ourselves," he said Wednesday morning after learning of the arrest.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/houston/article/Federal-officials-arrest-man-in-connection-with-6727623.php
Follow up to last week's story.
ShrimpPoboy
(301 posts)Even if he never signed a registry or wrote a check, surely he had been seen or spoken to someone over the five years he allegedly worshipped there.
JI7
(89,172 posts)AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Arsonists have irrational reasons, most of the time. Being a devout attendee doesn't mean he didn't do it.
(Also doesn't mean he did, in fact, it's largely irrelevant to whether or not he may have done it.)
ShrimpPoboy
(301 posts)This would change that assumption. It has nothing to do with whether or not he is guilty or, for that matter, whether we have a problem with islamaphobia in this country (we do).
mwrguy
(3,245 posts)JI7
(89,172 posts)He claims he was going there 5 times a day for 5 years. So it should be easy to find others who have syn him there.
But saying he was going there that often seems suspicious also. I doubt many Muslims go that often.
That Muslims pray throughout the day is kind of well known so it's like he thought get claim that and be believed.
If he did go that often i think we would already know if it was true.