Islamic Center of Yuba City,
California, USA
The original mosque was 75% complete when on Sept. 1, 1994 a blazing fire reduced this beautiful 12,000 sq. ft. building to charred ruins in just ONE HOUR. It was determined that it was arson, but still no arrests have been made.
This beautiful classically-styled mosque is again being rebuilt. This page was created to inform you of our progress and to thank all of you who have so generously donated your money, your prayers and support and giving us hope for the future.
We are above all grateful to Allah and His Divine Support.
PHOTOJOURNAL HISTORY OF THIS MOSQUE: See the original mosque, firemen battling the flames, & the rebuilding status (Feb. 98)
Photo: Fire engulfing our holy mosque on the night of Sept. 1 '94. The destruction was so complete that not even the 12,000 sq. ft. foundation could be saved, nor any of the heavy steel in the minaret and dome, which were left too twisted to use again.Yuba City mosque fire anniversary: Faith from the ashes
It was around midnight, and Abdul Kamir Krambo's phone rang. The woman on the line was in hysterics.
"The mosque's on fire, the mosque's on fire!" Krambo recalled her saying.
It was Aug. 31, 1994.
Krambo lived about a block away from the Islamic Center on Tierra Buena Road.
He ran out his front door. There, standing in bare feet and still in his robe, he watched his temple burn.
"My heart jumped into my throat," Krambo said.
By dawn, the new, 12,000-square-foot mosque was almost completely destroyed.
The fire was an enormous blow to the Muslim population in Yuba City. Questions of why and how leapt into the minds of those whose place of worship was now a pile of ash.
It was called a hate crime. The subsequent investigation showed conclusively that it was a case of arson. Prayer rugs had been soaked in gasoline and ignited.
The FBI became involved. Investigators had viable suspects, but lacked the evidence for a conviction. To this day, no one has been arrested for the fire, and the case is now closed.
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of support, not just from fellow Muslims, but from Christians, Sikhs, Mormons and Hindus.
Churches wrote letters of support and donated money to rebuild the mosque. The entire community rallied around the notion the truest way that justice could be served was to show the arsonists the fire didn't destroy their spirit, it was reported. In 2000, the temple was rebuilt.
The entire story was chronicled by David Washburn, a Bay Area photographer and filmmaker. His film, "An American Mosque," will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Sutter County Library at 750 Forbes Avenue, Yuba City.
Building a community
On the 20th anniversary of the fire that destroyed a local mosque, religious leaders are hoping to use a film by David Washburn, a Bay Area photographer and filmmaker, as a springboard to once again spark discussion about why it's important for different faiths to connect with each other — to understand each other, for the betterment of the community.
"As devastating as the fire was, a lot of good came out of it because a number of different faiths stepped up to lend their voice and support," said Gerry Sandu, president of the Yuba-Sutter Interfaith and Cultural Council. ""We feel like that goes missing sometimes. That's why the film is important — it shows a terrible thing happened, but it brought the community together."
Krambo said the film supports the notion that different religions need to support and understand each other to affect the community in a positive way.
"In a polarized world like we have now, that's an important thing to emphasize," Krambo said.
The event is presented by the Sutter County Library and co-sponsored by the Yuba Sutter Interfaith and Cultural Council, the Punjabi American Heritage Society, and Islamic Center of Yuba City.
"We all live in the same communities. We work and play with each other, but we don't always understand each other, and a lot of times we make assumptions and those can lead to misguided prejudice," Sandu said. "Our goal is to open up the community and create dialogue to better understand each other.
"We all want the same things, and we have very similar beliefs," Sandu said. "As a result of better connecting, we can have a more vibrant community."
Know & Go
"An American Mosque" will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Sutter County Library at 750 Forbes Avenue, Yuba City.
The film explores the tragedy of the destruction of the Islamic Center of Yuba City in 1994 and shows how members of different faiths rallied together to rebuild the mosque.
n American Mosque is a timely documentary about religious freedom and the struggle against intolerance set in a rural California town. Sparked by the destruction of a mosque, we witness how a farming community responds to hate through painful but ultimately positive discussions about the perception of Islam in America and our responsibility to defend everyone’s constitutional right to worship.
When the Islamic Center of Yuba City was burned to the ground in 1994, it became the first hate-crime to destroy a mosque in U.S. history. On a warm summer night, arsonists broke into the newly-constructed sanctuary, doused prayer rugs with gasoline, then lit the building ablaze. The mosque was reduced to ashes. In shock, everyone asked: Why would someone attack a community’s house of worship? For the first time in An American Mosque, the film’s characters share their stories – speaking passionately about hard work and anticipation, heartbreak and fear, triumph and hope. Members of other faiths echo their words, expressing compassion, support, and a shared desire for justice in the wake of the arson. Although deeply saddened, the community’s spirit was not shaken. They wanted to show that all Americans, including Muslims, are entitled to a religious sanctuary and the right to practice their faith openly. The community re-doubled their efforts and constructed a second mosque in the footprint of the first. This story went largely unpublicized at the time of the fire. Now, twenty years later, it is being widely shared for the first time.
Producer, David Washburn, is a documentary filmmaker from Oakland, California. For over a decade, he has focused on films and oral history projects that amplify underrepresented voices, including Latino shipyard workers during WWII, Sikh communities in California’s agricultural heartland, and Muslim American veterans. He is the recipient of grants from California Humanities, Center for Cultural Innovation, Pacific Pioneer Fund, and U.S. Department of Education, among others.
David is often asked, “Why, as a non-Muslim, did you make An American Mosque?” His response is simple: Artists of all backgrounds should produce work that sheds light on injustice and reveals the common humanity and gentleness that transcends our superficial differences. History shows this practice supports positive change in civil rights struggles, gender equality, and interfaith work.
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