Memorial for Nabra Hassanen Set on Fire

The memorial in DC was one of many vigils and memorials being held today following the 17-year-old's murder on Sunday morning; less than an hour away from Dupont Circle, Hassanen's family and community gathered at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS), the mosque that Hassanen attended before she was killed.

A 22-year-old man named Darwin A. Martinez Torres was arrested and charged in connection with her murder on Monday. The police say Torres was motivated by "road rage" and are not investigating the murder as a hate crime.

"We are saddened to hear reports that a memorial site for Nabra may have been set on fire," Madihha Ahussain, special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry at Muslim Advocates, said in a statement. "The idea that this could happen while her family and friends are mourning her loss, and memorials are held across the country, is appalling."

The police told Broadly that the fire is not currently being looked at as a hate crime. "US Park Police is investigating, but at this time, the incident does not appear to be motivated by bias," a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department said in an email.

But for Ahussain, reports of the fire strike a devastatingly familiar cord, as anti-Muslim attacks have been on the rise in the past year. "This is a sordid reminder that hate is thriving in our nation. Now, more than ever, we need to come together and support one another and stand up against this type of insidious hate," she said. "The reality is that the current political climate has emboldened hate groups and individuals to attack other groups of Americans, and it will be up to all of us as to turn the tides of bigotry and violence that has become so common across the nation."