Islamic Center of Irvine faces online threats in latest anti-mosque campaign
- Share via
Months after three people were killed in a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego, an Irvine mosque and its Village campus are the subject of an online disinformation campaign.
Amy “Mek” Mekelburg, founder of the Rise Align Ignite Reclaim (RAIR) Foundation, posted on X that the Islamic Center of Irvine “just seized control of three additional buildings” behind its mosque for the purposes of creating a “parallel society.”
A far-right podcaster reposted Mekelburg’s Aug. 11 comments on Facebook, which attracted online threats — ones that the Council on American-Islamic Relations in the Greater Los Angeles area wants investigated by law enforcement.
“Dynamite,” wrote one Facebook user.
Another commenter posted an emjoi of a bomb with a lit fuse.
Violent threats against the mosque and community center in Garden Grove followed claims that an expansion plan sought to create a Muslim “parallel society” in Orange County.
“We’re taking this very seriously,” said Amr Shabaik, CAIR-LA’s legal director, who confirmed the organization is working with ICOI. “We know that they have filed a police report and contacted the authorities in their area. They’ve notified their community and are taking measures to do everything they can within reasonable control to protect their community, as well.”
Irvine Police Department spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp told TimesOC officers are monitoring the situation closely but are “not aware of any credible threats at this time.”
Irvine PD has also stepped up its police presence at local center.
This is not the first time an Orange County mosque has been targeted online via social media.
The Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove heightened its security in April after the RAIR Foundation launched a similar campaign criticizing its expansion plans, which led to anti-Muslim rhetoric and violent threats online.
“Tired anti-Muslim stereotypes are driving these campaigns where the simple actions of renovating a mosque or expanding services are treated as some nefarious plot,” Shabaik added. “It’s driven, obviously, by a hatred of Muslims but also serves to rally certain demographics ahead of the midterm elections.”
By Tuesday afternoon, Mekelburg’s post about the Islamic Center of Irvine had garnered nearly 250,000 views.
“Why are we allowing an Islamic ‘Village’ to rise in Irvine?” she demanded to know.
Rep. Dave Min (D-Irvine) called ICOI a “pillar” in O.C., where interfaith collaboration is fostered and denounced the online threats against it.
“Hate has no place in Irvine, Orange County or anywhere else,” Min said in a statement. “Unfortunately, we are seeing a steep rise in Islamophobia across the country. We must swiftly confront hate and reject baseless conspiracy theories targeting the Muslim community.”
The mosque in Irvine was first established in 2004. Nearly two decades later, its supporters had raised enough money to acquire buildings behind the structure as part of a concept known as the “Village.”
In a promotional video, former ICOI executive director Amin Rafiq noted the concept was born in 2023 and that community members raised more than $1 million in a single night during the holy month of Ramadan.
That effort allowed the organization to operate a total of four buildings by the following year. According to the center’s website, the Village offers a range of services, including sessions on mastering the Quran, babysitting, a private hair salon, gym equipment and STEM classes for youth.
It is described as a “modern community hub in Irvine providing top-tier services in wellness, education and personal growth, based in Islamic principles and open to all.”
A collaborative mural project in Little Arabia between artists, students and community members tells the story of the cultural destination through art.
Long before the Village was conceived, the ICOI established itself as a community that rebuffed extremism.
Twenty years ago, paid FBI informant Craig Monteihl posed as Farouk al-Aziz, a Muslim convert, but was reported to authorities by the center’s members in 2007 after he began aggressively pushing for “violent jihad.”
Three mosque members sued the FBI, claiming it had violated their constitutional rights. CAIR-LA and the American Civil Liberties Union continue to work on that case.
“The effects of that are still felt today,” Shabaik said. “It is unfortunate when law enforcement at the federal level engages in this type of behavior and creates a certain level of distrust. In times like these, we need that connection between the mosques and law enforcement to make sure that the community is safe.”
