By Don Haney

FARGO, N.D. (KFGO) – The Cities of Fargo, West Fargo, Horace, and Dilworth stand together with the City of Moorhead in unequivocally denouncing the vandalism at the Moorhead-Fargo Islamic Community Center.

Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson said in a statement that hate “will not have a home” in her city and that the images painted on the center are horrifying to view, but she said “we must view them to bear witness and understand the magnitude and depth of how these hate-filled words impact those in our community.”

Carlson asked that people turn out today at 1 p.m. at the mosque to assist in the clean-up of the building.

Sunday night, in a joint statement, the Mayors of Fargo, West Fargo, Horace, and Dilworth denounced the criminal actions. They said, “those criminal actions are completely contradictory to the values of tolerance, respect, and acceptance we embrace in all of our communities. The vandalism was a heinous act of hate attacking the center during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan (Raa-muh-daan).”

Surveillance video late Saturday night showed a person wearing a mask, wearing camouflage clothing, who spray-painted the mosque with red paint on the walls, windows, and doors of the mosque.

The FBI is assisting Moorhead Police in the search for the vandal.