A series of anti-Muslim attacks in recent weeks have referenced the murder of 50 Muslims at a Christchurch, New Zealand mosque earlier this month.
The attack on Christchurch’s Al Noor mosque on March 15 saw a white supremacist open fire on worshippers in a massacre designed to go viral. Shortly before the attack, the alleged terrorist promoted a manifesto and a Facebook link where people could watch the shooting in real time. Since then, a rash of alleged anti-Muslim attacks in the U.S. and U.K. have referenced the attack.
Seven people were inside Escondido, California’s Dar-ul-Arqam mosque early Sunday morning when the outside of the building erupted in flames. Worshippers extinguished the fire before it could hurt anyone, but the outside of the mosque sustained minor damage. Law enforcement determined the blaze to be an arson, aided by an accelerant.