Community reaches out to local Islamic Center after hate crime

[babylonsister]

Major props to Tim; I wish there were more like him out there.


Community reaches out to local Islamic Center after hate crime
Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 12:23am
By Sherry Phillips


Photo by Jude Ferrara/The City Paper


On a cold and windy February night, a man who gave only his first name walked up to the Al-Farooq Islamic Center in south Nashville and handed a gallon of stain-blocker paint and a bag of brushes, rollers and rags to a Somali man standing in the parking lot.

Tim, an East Nashville resident, said he did the first thing he could think of when he drove by the center Wednesday and saw the words “Muslims Go home” and a crusade-style cross spray-painted in red across the front of the center, which doubles as a mosque.

“When I saw it, I just broke down crying,” the self-described unemployed truck driver said. “I went straight to Home Depot and bought a gallon of paint.”

As he handed over the paint he said, “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I hope you know that {this act} doesn’t represent my city. Again, I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”

more...

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/community-reaches-out-local-islamic-center-after-hate-crime

[Political_Junkie]

1. Brought me to tears.

Good on Tim. I have many Somali friends and can't imagine them being treated this way. The Somalis I know are sweet, lovable people. They don't deserve this.