A new report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, reveals that Minnesota now leads the nation in Islamophobic incidents, including attacks on mosques. The executive director of CAIR’s Minnesota chapter discusses the findings and their impact on the state’s Muslim community.
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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.
ANCHOR Gracie J: Today, why the Mall of America is releasing thousands of bugs inside the shopping center. Then, a new report shows Minnesota leads the country in anti-Muslim incidents. And a group of lawmakers want to put an end to a practice in prisons they say is antiquated and harmful. I'm Gracie J.
Forget pesticides. The Mall of America is celebrating Earth Day by releasing 144-thousand live ladybugs as a natural pest control for its indoor gardens. In what's become an annual event, the Mall is inviting the public to come down and release the bugs on plants throughout Nickelodeon Universe. Organizers say the ladybugs offer a chemical-free way to protect plants while educating visitors on eco-friendly practices. Interested families can sign up on the Mall of America website.
Next, A new report shows Minnesota leads the nation in Islamophobic incidents, including attacks on mosques. A local Islamic agency director explains how this is affecting the community. Reporter Victor Palomino with the story.
Victor Palomino: Minnesota leads the nation in reported incidents targeting mosques, according to the 2025 Civil Rights Report released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of CAIR's Minnesota chapter, says the attacks have taken many forms.
Jaylani Hussein: The report came out a couple of weeks ago, and in that report they specifically highlighted 40 separate incidents targeting mosques in the United States in 2024. 15 of those 40 incidents were all in Minnesota. And the next state close to us was California with five.
Victor Palomino: Hussein explains that most of the incidents involve vandalism, some as severe as arson.
Jaylani Hussein: One specific mosque had received, nine different times where individuals came to vandalize and destroy property. Two years ago, we had several arsons that resulted in a mosque being engulfed in fire where there were several hundred people in there, including 50 children.
Victor Palomino: The report defines Islamophobia as anti-Muslim racism fueled by fear, hatred, or prejudice toward Islam and its followers. This often results in discrimination and systemic oppression. But hate alone may not be the only factor behind the rise in attacks.
Jaylani Hussein: We think that the reasons behind some of these attacks are a combination. We have noticed that individuals who have some form of mental illness have specifically targeted our mosques. And again, hate and, you know, conspiracy theories and other types of things can sometimes be a lot more impactful on those populations or become more vulnerable.
Victor Palomino: Hussein believes there's an additional layer to what's happening in Minnesota,
Jaylani Hussein: A lot of times it starts off with someone who is targeting Congresswoman Omar because she's a political lightning rod for others. and that draws upon a lot of attention on Minnesota. The biggest and easiest target is a very prominent and well-known congresswoman. Secondly, that we have a very visible immigrant - Muslim - population in Minnesota; in other states, they are there, but they may not be as visible.
Victor Palomino: CAIR offices received 8,658 incoming complaints nationwide in 2024. This marks the highest number of complaints the organization has recorded since the first civil rights report was published in 1996.
Jaylani Hussein: I think the other problem we have is the vulnerability for our community. Our mosques are predominantly serving the poorest Minnesotans. We have data that says that Somali or East African immigrants are the poorest in Minnesota. They are overwhelmingly 75% poor.
Victor Palomino: This makes local mosques easy targets for vandalism.
Jaylani Hussein: These mosques are really built on shoestring budgets, the ability to have resources for security and in a complex system to prevent these types of attacks are not just not there.
Victor Palomino: Despite the rise in Islamophobia, the report also highlights signs of progress, including a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of CAIR's challenge to the federal No Fly List, which disproportionately affected Muslim travelers. You can find the full report at CAIR dot ORG. For North Star Stories, I'm Victor Palomino
ANCHOR Gracie J: You are listening to North Star Stories.
A new bill aims to end the use of solitary confinement for Minnesota prisoners, a practice critics say causes lasting psychological harm. Solitary confinement is defined as isolating someone for more than 20 hours a day. Under the bill, inmates could still be placed into segregated housing — apart from the general population, but not in isolation. It also mandates that inmates in segregated housing have access to personal effects as well as medical and mental health services. Mental health experts warn that even short periods in isolation can lead to anxiety and depression.
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