Source: Star Tribune
On March 20, 1999, the Star Tribune of Minneapolis published an article on the many Jewish and Christian organizations who are offering assistance to the Muslim community of Minneapolis in the aftermath of a devastating fire that destroyed the Islamic Cultural Community Center. Donations for rebuilding, offers to share worship space, and aid in the clean-up of the mosque are some of the ways Jewish and Christian organizations have shown their support for the Islamic community in Minneapolis. There are plans to rebuild the mosque in the present area of northeast Minneapolis where the Islamic Center stood. Matthew Ramadan, a Muslim leader in the Twin Cities, stated: "From a political and a moral point of view, it has to be built in northeast Minneapolis, the area where the mosque was burned. If it isn't, the signals will be that we were driven out." Though the fire was determined to be an arson, it is still not designated as a hate crime. Rev. Bill Kenney, pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in northeast Minneapolis, wants the mosque to stay. "We have few violent crimes here. We're proud of that, and we want to continue that. We want to make people feel welcomed, and we'll do what we can to help them."