(LOS ANGELES, CA – 4/29/2019) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today expressed relief at the foiling of an alleged bombing plot in Southern California.
Today, law enforcement officials announced the arrest of a Reseda man accused of planning to detonate improvised explosive devises at multiple locations.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Mark Steven Domingo, a U.S. Army veteran, was caught in an online sting operation and arrested by the FBI on April 26 when Domingo, 26, took possession of what he assumed to be a live bomb.
Domingo is alleged to have discussed, with an FBI informant, targeting white supremacists, Christians, the Jewish community, churches and police officers.
READ: Terrorism plot involving military veteran thwarted in Southern California, sources say
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-los-angeles-terror-plot-20190429-story.html
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“We are grateful the alleged plans to hurt and kill innocent people were foiled. There is absolutely no justification for such murderous intent. However, we are concerned by the FBI informant’s tactics, which seemed to encourage and spur this veteran to plot these attacks.”
The news of Domingo’s arrest comes less than 48 hours after a gunman entered a synagogue in San Diego County and opened fire, killing one person and injuring several others. The suspect in that shooting is suspected of setting fire to a mosque in Escondido in late March, leaving a note praising the New Zealand massacre.
Last week, a man, also a military veteran rammed his car into a group of pedestrians because he believed they were Muslim, leaving several pedestrians injured including one teen, who is now in a coma.
Last month, a number of historically African-American churches were damaged by a series of arson attacks.
“Whether it was the shooter in New Zealand, the shooter/arsonist in San Diego, the bombers in Sri Lanka or this individual, it is important to recognize these individuals’ twisted ideologies are fueled by hatred and not religion,” Ayloush said. “With a growing climate of Islamophobia, we are concerned about the undeserved backlash the American Muslim community experiences after these types of events. We urge law enforcement to address this situation without creating a climate that interferes with the safety and civil rights of innocent American Muslims.”
CAIR-LA is Southern California’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Eugene W. Fields, 714-776-1847 or efields@cair.com