(WASHINGTON, D.C., 7/28/10) -- The Texas office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-TX) reported today that local police and the FBI are investigating possibly bias-motivated incidents of arson, hate graffiti and racial slurs targeting a mosque in that state.

[NOTE: CAIR is also looking into a report of recent vandalism at a mosque under construction in Round Rock, Texas. A motive has not yet been established in that case.]

CAIR-TX said a Sunday fire at the playground of Dar El-Eman Islamic Center in Arlington, Texas, followed an incident two days earlier in which obscene anti-Muslim graffiti was discovered in the mosque's parking lot. A third incident involved racial slurs being shouted at worshippers on Sunday.

A spokesperson for Arlington police told CAIR that arson investigators and the FBI are involved in the probe. Police patrols have been stepped up in the area surrounding the mosque.

CAIR-TX took part in a Tuesday meeting at the mosque in which the FBI and other fire and law enforcement officials discussed the investigation.

The Texas Penal Code allows for enhanced penalties if an offense is "committed because of bias or prejudice."

SEE: Penalty if Offense Committed Because of Bias or Prejudice

“We appreciated the prompt and professional actions of local and federal agencies in responding to these disturbing incidents,” said CAIR-Texas Executive Director Mustafaa Carroll, who took part in Tuesday’s meeting at the mosque. "We ask the FBI to encourage police departments nationwide to step up protection at American mosques and Islamic centers."

SEE: New York City Police to Increase Mosque Patrols During Ramadan

He noted that a mosque in Jacksonville, Fla., was recently the target of a bomb attack and that mosques are facing opposition nationwide.

SEE: Fla. Mosque Attack Called Terrorism
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Carroll said CAIR is urging American Muslim individuals and institutions to review advice on security procedures contained in its "Muslim Community Safety Kit."

SEE: Muslim Community Safety Kit

CAIR-NY also called on the FBI and local law enforcement authorities to investigate the alleged threat.

The Brooklyn Paper reported that a protester at an anti-mosque rally threatened violence in an effort to block a planned Islamic community center in the neighborhood. The newspaper quoted one of the protesters, who said: "If they build a mosque there, I'm going to bomb the mosque...I will give them a lot of trouble...They're not going to stay here alive."

SEE: Hate-Filled Rally to Stop Mosque (Brooklyn Paper)

"New York City mosques and centers are a reflection of a well-integrated Muslim community," said CAIR-NY Community Affairs Director and Brooklyn resident Faiza Ali. "The silence from elected officials in the face of such outrageously racist and violent remarks is tacit approval of hatred against an entire religious minority."

Ali said CAIR-NY has reached out to the FBI, the New York Police Department (NYPD), New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the Brooklyn Borough president's office about the threat.

She noted that a mosque in Jacksonville, Fla., was recently the target of a bomb attack and that a Houston radio host called for the bombing of a proposed mosque and community center in New York City.

SEE: Fla. Mosque Attack Called Terrorism
CAIR Video: Texas Talk Show Host Under Fire for Mosque Bomb Remark