By Elham Asaad Buaras
London, (The Muslim News): Fears over rising Islamophobia in America intensified after three Muslim men were killed while shielding worshippers and children during a deadly attack on a San Diego mosque just days before Eid al-Adha.
The victims, security guard Amin Abdullah and mosque staff members Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad, are being remembered as heroes after confronting two heavily armed teenage gunmen outside the Islamic Center of San Diego as terrified families and schoolchildren hid inside classrooms and prayer halls.
Muslim advocacy groups warned the massacre was part of a wider climate of growing anti-Muslim hostility and increasingly dangerous extremist rhetoric in the United States.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said 2025 recorded the highest number of anti-Muslim bias complaints since the organisation began tracking incidents in 1996.
“We are deeply disturbed, but not at all surprised, to learn that those who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego were reportedly motivated by anti-Muslim hate,” said Hussam Ayloush, CEO of CAIR California.
“Numerous politicians have spent the past year claiming that all ‘mainstream Muslims’ should be destroyed, that American mosques and elementary schools should be shut down, and that American Muslims should be expelled from our nation.”
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) also warned of “a troubling rise in Islamophobia.”
“In recent months, we have seen a troubling rise in Islamophobia, in part fuelled by some public figures who use their platforms in ways that normalize fear and exclusion,” the organisation said.
British Muslims were horrified by the massacre on the mosque.
The Muslim Council of Britain, the largest Muslim body in the UK, said it was “deeply saddened” by the massacre in San Diego.
“Our prayers and deepest condolences are with the families of those killed, with the worshippers and children at the Center, and with the wider American Muslim community,” said the MCB.
Muslim Women’s Network UK said it was “horrified by the gun attack” and “we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the three Muslims who were murdered, and to all those injured in this horrific attack. We stand in solidarity with the affected community during this time of grief and trauma.”
Against that backdrop, the heroism of the three victims has become a powerful symbol of courage and sacrifice for grieving Muslim communities across the country.
Security guard Amin Abdullah, described by worshippers as deeply devoted to protecting the mosque, was praised by police for helping prevent an even greater tragedy.
“At this point, I think it’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said. “Undoubtedly, he saved lives today.”
Before converting to Islam, Abdullah had spent years grappling with theological questions while growing up as a Christian. Friends said his faith journey shaped his strong sense of duty toward the community.
“He wanted to defend the innocent, so he decided to become a security guard,” Sheikh Uthman Ibn Farooq said after speaking with Abdullah’s grieving son.
Nader Awad was also praised for warning worshippers and community members to stay away from the mosque during the shooting.
“Mr. Awad died while protecting others by warning them to stay away from the centre during the shooting,” the American Human Rights Council (AHRC) said.
Mansour Kaziha was likewise remembered by community members as among those who confronted the attackers during the opening moments of the assault.
All three men are now being remembered by worshippers as martyrs who sacrificed their lives to prevent an even greater massacre.
[An infographic titled “Shooting at Islamic Center of San Diego” created in Ankara, Turkiye on May 19, 2026. Photojournalist: Mehmet Yaren Bozğun/AA]
‘EVERY COMMUNITY’S WORST NIGHTMARE’
The shooting unfolded at approximately 11:43 a.m. on May 18 at the Islamic Center of San Diego in the Clairemont neighbourhood.
Authorities say the suspects, identified by law enforcement sources as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, opened fire outside the mosque later dying from suspected self-inflicted gunshot wounds inside a nearby vehicle.
Police Chief Wahl described the attack as “every community’s worst nightmare” after officers arrived within four minutes of the first emergency calls and found three men dead outside the mosque.
Imam Taha Hassane confirmed that all teachers, students, and staff members at the adjoining Bright Horizon Academy were safely evacuated during the chaos.
“The actions of these three men demonstrate the extraordinary impact one individual can have when guided by duty and compassion,” the AHRC said in a statement.
EXTREMIST MATERIAL DISCOVERED
Investigators are treating the shooting as a potential hate crime after anti-Islamic writings and extremist material were reportedly discovered inside the suspects’ vehicle.
According to senior law enforcement officials, the words “hate speech” had allegedly been scrawled onto one of the firearms used in the attack.
Authorities also reportedly discovered a Schutzstaffel (SS) sticker associated with Nazi symbolism inside the vehicle.
Investigators are examining a 75-page manifesto believed to have been written by the suspects that allegedly praised previous mass shooters while promoting Islamophobic, antisemitic, misogynistic, and anti-LGBTQ views.
NBC News reported that authorities are reviewing extremist writings linked to the pair alongside evidence suggesting admiration for previous mass killings.
“This is something that we have never expected to take place,” Imam Hassane said.
“But at the same time the religious intolerance and the hate, unfortunately, that exists in our nation is unprecedented.”
WARNING SIGNS EMERGED HOURS BEFORE ATTACK
Police revealed that officers had received a desperate call hours earlier from the mother of one of the suspects.
At approximately 9:42 a.m., she reported that her teenage son was missing, suicidal, dressed in camouflage clothing, and had taken her vehicle and several firearms from the family home.
Authorities later confirmed that three weapons, including a shotgun, a Mini-14 rifle, and a 9mm handgun, had been taken before the shooting.
As police attempted to locate the missing teenager, reports of gunfire erupted at the Islamic Center shortly before midday.
Additional shots were later reported several blocks away, where a landscaper was allegedly targeted in what investigators believe may have been a drive-by shooting. The man survived after what police said may have been protective equipment deflecting a bullet from his head.
By 1:07 p.m., authorities declared the immediate threat neutralized after locating the suspects nearby.
Bomb disposal units later cleared the suspects’ vehicle as investigators searched for further evidence.
POLITICAL LEADERS CONDEMN SHOOTING
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said many Muslims in Britain would now feel fearful following the attack.
“I condemn the deadly attack on a mosque in San Diego,” Starmer wrote on X.
“My thoughts are with those affected. I know many Muslims in the UK will be shaken by this, worried about their safety when going about their lives and attending mosque.”
He added: “Violence like this does not happen in a vacuum. It grows in an environment where division and anti-Muslim hostility are normalised.”
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the shooting as “horrifying” and said British Muslims were feeling “deep anxiety” following the attack.
In the United States, President Donald Trump called the shooting a “terrible situation,” while California Governor Gavin Newsom declared: “Hate has no place in California and we will not tolerate acts of terror.”
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria described the shooting as a “violent act of hate,” while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned what he called “an apparent act of anti-Muslim violence.”
The NYPD later announced increased security deployments around mosques across New York City.
[Photo: Emergency services are deployed an area close to the Islamic Center of San Diego (seen in the foreground) on May 18, 2026. Photojournalist: Michael Ho Wai Lee/AA]
