Fargo’s Islamic cemetery target of vandalism spree

Community leaders say Fargo’s Islamic Cemetery is the target of a vandalism spree.

The area in North Dakota, USA, is usually a quiet, peaceful area, and operating the one-acre cemetery is largely a grassroots effort for the Islamic Society of Fargo and Moorhead.

Last Friday, a man who works at the cemetery entered the building where they house concrete vaults used in burials. He found that the vaults, which go into the ground for a burial, had all been destroyed, said Heidi Soliman, a spokesperson with the Islamic Society.

The building stored five of the vaults. All five have been badly damaged, smashed open, with concrete debris scattering the floor of the storage facility.

“They needed to have some sort of tool to get in, and then also to break up these vaults,” she said. “They’re cement boxes that are heavy and big. So this is a little concerning, and why, and who did it and what was the point? Probably not high school kids.”

“This is a pre-planned hate crime, just to send a message to the Muslims, you know, that you are not welcome,” he said.

He says that despite the ugly nature of the crime, he and the thousands of Muslims living in Fargo-Moorhead won’t let the incident stop them from maintaining the cemetery.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of the active investigation into the vandalism.