Florida Mosque Fire Ruled as Arson
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A fire deliberately set at a mosque Thursday morning was being investigated as a possible hate crime, authorities said.
Tampa Fire Rescue reported that an arsonist poured gasoline on the outside of a building next to the Islamic Center of Tampa, which also holds religious classes. The fire was brought under control in about 20 minutes and nobody was hurt.
A gas can was found at the scene. A damage estimate was not immediately available. Most of the damage occurred in an area used for prayer services, said Ahmed Bedier, a spokesman for the Tampa chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations.
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"The inside is basically destroyed," Bedier said. "They can't use the building so they are currently looking at their options."
The FBI and local authorities were investigating.