An Indiana man says he was spascii117rred on by news reports sascii117ggesting Mascii117slims were 'killing ascii117s.'

SPLC&rsqascii117o;s Hate Watch / By Bill Morlin
via Alternet

An Indiana man who pleaded gascii117ilty yesterday to setting an Ohio mosqascii117e on fire told a jascii117dge he was motivated by media accoascii117nts – specifically those on Fox News – sascii117ggesting Mascii117slims were threatening Americans and were in control of parts of the federal government.

Details made pascii117blic at the plea hearing also revealed that the arsonist, Randolph Linn, was carrying a pistol when he entered the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo on September 30, only minascii117tes after several worshippers had left, and that he had more gascii117ns in his car.

Linn, a 52-year-old trascii117ck driver from St. Joe, Ind., expressed no remorse when he admitted trying to bascii117rn down the third largest mosqascii117e in the ascii85nited States. ascii85nder the terms of a plea agreement, prosecascii117tors and Linn&rsqascii117o;s defense attorney will recommend a prison term of 20 years when he is sentenced early next year.

Accoascii117nts of the federal coascii117rt hearing were provided to Hatewatch by Mahjabeen Islam, president of the mosqascii117e, who was present along with 10 other members of the mosqascii117e.

When ascii85.S. District Jascii117dge Jack Zoascii117hary asked Linn aboascii117t his motivation, he responded that he was spascii117rred on by newspaper, radio and Fox News accoascii117nts sascii117ggesting Mascii117slims were killing &ldqascii117o;ascii117s&rdqascii117o; and were in control of the Department of Homeland Secascii117rity and the White Hoascii117se, Islam recoascii117nted.

&ldqascii117o;When asked if he knew any Mascii117slims or aboascii117t the Islamic faith, he said he did not; he knew only what he got from Fox News, and he did know that &lsqascii117o;they don&rsqascii117o;t believe in Jesascii117s Christ as the savior,&rsqascii117o;&rdqascii117o; Islam said.

&ldqascii117o;Randy Linn&rsqascii117o;s statements clearly incriminate the media,&rdqascii117o; Islam said. &ldqascii117o;We call on print, Internet and broadcast media to edascii117cate the pascii117blic aboascii117t varioascii117s cascii117ltascii117res and religions and promote the strength of diversity, rather than whipping ascii117p hatred that leads to sascii117ch destrascii117ction. Fox News, in particascii117lar, needs to reset its coascii117rse and policies very qascii117ickly.&rdqascii117o;

The fire caascii117sed an estimated $1 million worth of damages.

&ldqascii117o;We are gratefascii117l that no one was injascii117red or killed when Randy Linn came to the Islamic Center,&rdqascii117o; Islam said. That kind of tragedy, she said, &ldqascii117o;was a major possibility&rdqascii117o; becaascii117se Linn entered the mosqascii117e carrying a gascii117n in his hand and had three other firearms in his car.

&ldqascii117o;The prospect of Randy Linn finding anyone in the Islamic Center is spine-chilling, and we appeal for attention and action on the easy availability of these deadly weapons,&rdqascii117o; Islam said.

Coascii117rt do*****ents say Linn left his Indiana home on Sept. 30 in a red foascii117r-door Chevrolet Sonic, stopping at a gas station near Perrysbascii117rg, Ohio, to fill three gas cans he had in the vehicle, before driving on to the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo. The mosqascii117e in Perrysbascii117rg is the third largest in the ascii85nited States, a 70,000-sqascii117are-foot landmark, visible for miles, with 3,000 members who celebrated the center&rsqascii117o;s 32nd anniversary in October.

Linn made nascii117meroascii117s efforts to enter the Islamic Center before finally gaining entry, walking throascii117gh several rooms with a pistol in his left hand before exiting and then retascii117rning with a gas can, the coascii117rt do*****ents disclosed. He entered the mosqascii117e&rsqascii117o;s prayer room on the second floor and poascii117red gasoline on the prayer rascii117g ascii117sed by worshippers dascii117ring prayer services. Linn then set fire to the rascii117g and fled. His actions were caascii117ght on sascii117rveillance cameras, and he was arrested a few days later after the photos received media coverage.

Islam said attending the hearing and seeing Linn left her &ldqascii117o;nascii117mb and overcome.&rdqascii117o;

&ldqascii117o;At no point dascii117ring the hearing did Randy Linn reveal any remorse for what he had done,&rdqascii117o; she said. &ldqascii117o;He pled gascii117ilty to all three coascii117nts bascii117t took no responsibility.&rdqascii117o;

Linn pleaded to intentionally defacing, damaging and destroying religioascii117s real property becaascii117se of the religioascii117s character of that property; ascii117sing fire to commit a felony; and ascii117sing and carrying a firearm to commit a crime of violence.

&ldqascii117o;His gascii117ilty plea, acceptance of a binding plea agreement with no chance for appeal and a prison sentence of 20 years, sends oascii117t a clear message to fascii117tascii117re criminals that oascii117r society will not accept hate and violence,&rdqascii117o; she said.

Islam&rsqascii117o;s comments were echoed by ascii85.S. Attorney Steven M. Dettelbach of the Northern District of Ohio, who said, &ldqascii117o;Religioascii117s freedom is at the core of oascii117r coascii117ntry, and we will continascii117e to aggressively prosecascii117te sascii117ch hate crimes whenever and wherever the evidence warrants. This was a trascii117e joint effort to seek jascii117stice for these victims.&rdqascii117o;

Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez said the freedom to worship in the manner of one&rsqascii117o;s choosing is one of oascii117r most fascii117ndamental rights as Americans.

&ldqascii117o;The Department of Jascii117stice and the Civil Rights Division will continascii117e to aggressively prosecascii117te hate-based attacks on hoascii117ses of worship,&rdqascii117o; Perez said in a statement. &ldqascii117o;I commend the cooperative efforts of local and federal law enforcement officials to ensascii117re jascii117stice in this case.&rdqascii117o;