• Joint Statement by the City of East Lansing and the Islamic Center of East Lansing
  
• A Letter of Support from MSU President, Lou Anna K. Simon Click here to read
  
• LSJ Op-Ed commends Islamic Center for a measured and considerate response Community rises above provocation - Click to Read
  
  

God states in the Quran: "(But whatever they may say or do,) repel the evil (that they commit) with something that is better: We are fully aware of what they attribute (to Us)." (The Holy Quran, 23:96)

And also: "(Since) good and evil cannot be equal, repel (the evil deed) with one that is better. Then you will see that he with whom you had enmity, will become your close friend." (The Holy Quran, 41:34)

Another verse tells the Prophet Muhammad to "show forgiveness, speak for justice and avoid the ignorant." (7:199)

Even when the Prophet was in a position of power, he chose the path of kindness and reconciliation.

When he returned to Mecca after years of exile and personal attacks, he did not take revenge on the people of the city, but instead offered a general amnesty.

These are the examples that Muslims should follow as they express deep concern about the actions of ignorant individuals

• Incident Date - We believe it occurred Friday September 10 night sometime between 11 pm to Saturday September 11, 2 am
• Report to Police - Saturday September 11 ~ 2 am
• Why we did not speak to the media on Saturday September 11- "Though the burnt Quran was discovered on Saturday, the Islamic center decided to wait until today to make the incident public. We felt (Saturday) had its own purpose, its own need for reflection, and so we wanted to make sure that the focus stayed on the issue of 9/11. We did not want the messages to be mixed." - Abdalmajid Katranji, Public Relations Coordinator.
• "Our investigators don't believe it's fecal matter. We don't have a clue what it is. We still need to send it out (to a lab) for further testing." said East Lansing Police Capt. Kim Johnson (09/13)
  

• The suspect turned himself in less than 24 hours after the $10K award was announced, fearing that someone may turn him in.


• ELPD confirms that this is an isolated case and that there is no group or gang behind it.


• ELPD confirms there is no further risk posed to the Islamic Center and the communuty should feel safe


• The suspect name has not been released at this point.


• No affiliations of the suspect to any school or college is known either.


• The suspect is not in custody as of Thursday night


• The investigation is ongoing and is likely to be completed next week.


• Until we have any conclusions from the ELPD, FBI we will not be able to offer any further comments, we would refer questions at this point to Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings

• The Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III announced today in a news release that he will not issue charges in connection with the burning of a Quran outside the Islamic Center of East Lansing on Sept. 11.


• The Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III held a meeting with the President of the Islamic Center of East Lansing prior to making the announcement public.


• The Islamic Center of East Lansing has issued a Press Release in response to the decision.


• The Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III praises Islamic Center President Mr. Mahmoud Mousa for the handling of this sad episode. http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100922/NEWS01/9220325/No-state-charges-in-Quran-burning