State and federal authorities are investigating the cause of a fire at a Prior Lake mosque and school that has resulted in a partial roof collapse and other significant damage.
Prior Lake firefighters responded to Masjid Hamza Al-Mahmood Foundation and Baitul Hikmah Academy at around 2:30 a.m Monday morning after a call from a passerby who saw flames coming from the roof.
The mosque has more than 200 kids from kindergarten to 12th grade enrolled in the private religious school and hundreds more worshippers in its congregation.
“While we are deeply grateful that no lives were lost, the emotional and spiritual impact of this tragedy is immense,” said Touhid Khan, a board member of the mosque, during a news conference on Monday. “Seeing it damaged so severely has shaken our community and our school’s family, parents, teachers and students are heartbroken.”
A portion of the roof collapsed after firefighters were pushed outside by the fire, according to a news release from the Prior Lake Fire Department. Crews from Lakeville, Savage, Shakopee, Elko New Market, Jordan and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community joined the firefighters in helping to contain the fire.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Minnesota fire marshal are investigating the cause of the fire. Prior Lake spokesman Jeffrey DeMars told Sahan Journal the city had no new information about the cause or extent of the damage as of Monday afternoon.
Though the cause of the fire remains unclear, it comes during a tense moment as anti-Somali rhetoric from President Donald Trump and arrests by federal authorities targeting Somali immigrants has the community on edge.
“We know that there’s elevated fear and anxiety toward the Muslim community in Minnesota, and that’s not new — it’s been part of the main story that we’ve been dealing with for the past week and a half,” said Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN). “But at this moment right now with this mosque, they have not faced any particular threats or anything of that nature, so we’re going to hold off until we get law enforcement to investigate.”
Hassan Jama, an imam at a Minneapolis mosque who spoke at Monday’s news conference, told reporters that mosques around the state are on high alert and “expecting anything.”
“We don’t know the motive so we don’t want to jump to conclusions, but we are exhausted,” Jama said.
More than 40 Minnesota mosques have been attacked in the last four years, including 16 in 2024 alone, according to data compiled by CAIR-MN, which has resulted in more than $3 million in damages. Hussein said that’s the highest in the nation compared to other states during the same period.
During the news conference, Hussein reiterated his call to mosques around the state that they enhance security at their buildings and remain vigilant, while asking law enforcement to work with their local mosques to keep people safe.
“I can assure the community today that the response and the ongoing investigation is significant, and that gives us hope that we will get to the bottom of it,” he said.
