Visitors at the Islamic Center of Tucson have been subject to harassment recently from high-rise residential towers near the center. Eggs, pumpkins and bottles have been thrown at the center, including at children playing basketball outside.
Kamel Didan is the vice chairman of the board of trustees at the center. His main concern is for the safety of worshipers and visitors.
“I really hope that people take this seriously, really," Didan said. "Our main worry is someone’s going to get hurt and our major worry is there’s going to be some kind of confrontation or whatever. We don’t want that, God forbid. So I really hope the city realizes this was a big mistake from the get go.”
While racial slurs have been used, Didan believes that this a a matter of disrepect while under the influence of alcohol. He hopes media attention will discourage future incidents. A meeting is planned for Monday with city officials to try and resolve this issue.