Maryland Commission on Civil Rights Condemns Deadly Shooting at San Diego Mosque and Calls Nation to Reject Hatred, Violence & Silence
The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) joins the nation in mourning following the horrific shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, where three lives were tragically taken in what authorities are investigating as a possible hate crime.
This act of violence, carried out at a place of worship during a sacred moment of gathering and prayer, is not simply an attack on one mosque or one community. It is an attack on the very principles of human dignity, religious freedom, safety, and belonging that form the foundation of a just society.
The reports emerging from San Diego are heartbreaking. Families shattered. Worshippers traumatized. Children forced to flee in fear from a place that should have represented peace, sanctuary, and hope. We are especially moved by the reported heroism of the mosque security guard whose actions may have saved countless lives.
Cleveland L. Horton II, Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights, issued the following statement:
We cannot continue to normalize hatred in this country. We cannot continue to watch communities live in fear while places of worship become targets of violence. And we cannot continue to pretend that words, rhetoric, dehumanization, and silence do not have consequences.
What happened in San Diego is devastating – but it is also a warning. A warning about what happens when bias is tolerated, when division is weaponized, and when humanity is stripped from those who are different from us.
Today, we stand with our Muslim brothers and sisters – not only in grief, but in solidarity, protection, and unwavering resolve. Their pain is our pain. Their fear should concern us all. And their right to worship freely and safely is non-negotiable.
We must become a nation that chooses courage over cowardice, compassion over cruelty, and unity over hate. Because if any community can be terrorized for simply existing, then none of our freedoms are truly secure.”
The tragedy in San Diego comes during a time of increasing concern over hate-fueled rhetoric, religious intolerance, and targeted violence against marginalized communities across the nation. Authorities have indicated the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime after evidence of anti-Islamic rhetoric was reportedly discovered.
The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights is calling on leaders at every level – government, education, law enforcement, faith institutions, and community organizations – to reject complacency and recommit themselves to confronting hate before it escalates into violence.
This moment demands more than statements.
It demands action.
It demands education.
It demands accountability.
It demands that we protect one another with the same urgency we would hope others would protect us.
The Commission encourages all Marylanders to stand in solidarity with Muslim communities, condemn all forms of hate and extremism, and remain vigilant in reporting acts of discrimination, bias, harassment, and threats targeting protected communities.
Even in moments of darkness, we must refuse to surrender to fear.
Hate may make noise.
Violence may create trauma.
But united communities still possess something stronger:
The power to stand together.
The power to protect one another.
And the power to ensure that love, justice, and humanity speak louder than hatred ever will.