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Law enforcement increase patrols at local mosques

Posted at 4:04 PM, Jan 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-30 22:05:32-05

After the recent attack in Canada, members of the Muslim community in the valley are on edge.  

Rokai Yusufzai says his mosque has been a victim of an attack before, and now they're hoping history doesn't repeat itself.  

Back in 2015, a man was caught on surveillance video, appearing to wrap raw meat around Masjid-e-Tawheed.  In Islam, pork and bacon is forbidden to both eat and touch, most likely why the suspect wrapped it around their door.

Now, after President Trump's travel ban, and after the attack in Canada, members of the local mosque fear there could be even more backlash.  

"Can we live in fear?  No," says Yusufzai.  "I cannot live in fear.  We've taken some precautions based on what has happened in the past.  

Those precautions include teaming up with local law enforcement.  

According to Las Vegas police, they have shifted their resources to make officers more available to patrol local mosques, including Masjid-e-Tawheed. It's something they believe is important after the recent attack in Canada. 

Over the weekend, six people died, and several more people were injured, after a shooting at the Islamic Cultural Center of Quebec. That shooting happened in the men's section during a time of prayer.  

Now, local leaders say they're not taking any chances when it comes to the safety of their own members. 

"Some members are afraid of just going to perform their normal prayer at a normal mosque because they don't want to get shot while they are praying," says Yusufzai.