Big Cash Reward Being Offered By FBI After Bacon Found At Las Vegas Mosque

A $5,000 reward is being offered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for any information that could help them solve an interesting case. Near the end of 2015, someone went up to a mosque in Las Vegas and decided to place raw bacon on the door handles outside, so the FBI is turning to the public for some help.

A statement released by the FBI on Wednesday said that agents are attempting to find a man who was caught on surveillance video putting the raw bacon on the entrances of the Madjid-e Tawheed mosque in Las Vegas.

It is indeed a crime, according to CBS News, as the FBI is calling it desecration of the Islamic worship center.

According to The Quran, the holy book of Islam, consumption of pork is prohibited for Muslims. Pigs have often been used to taunt or offend Muslims since the religion forbids them eating the meat.

The Las Vegas Police and the FBI have jointly said that they are investigating this situation seriously. It is being looked at as a hate crime, and they are willing to prosecute whoever is responsible for putting the bacon on the mosque door.

Larry Hadfield, a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Police, said that the bacon was not just placed on the door handles. It was actually wrapped around them so it almost latched them together, and it was even found on the ground and near the fences around the mosque.

The person that put the bacon there obviously was attempting to place it wherever someone going to the mosque may walk or touch.

The incident took place around 3:15 a.m. on December 27. From the surveillance video, it is known that the suspect is a white male wearing a jacket, dark blue hat, and black-framed glasses. He did have thin sideburns and hair that is black or dark brown in color.

There was no damage to the mosque, which is located west of the Las Vegas strip, according to Jihad Watch. No injuries were reported either as the Masjid-e-Tawheed mosque was indeed empty at the time.

Worshipers arriving to the mosque early that morning first noticed the bacon on the doors and ground, and that is when they reported the situation. Police responded to the mosque, and the incident was later reported to the FBI.

In recent weeks, there have been a large number of threatening incidents at different mosques around the United States.

Early in December, a severed pig’s head was found outside of a Philadelphia worship site. Again, the connection between Muslims and pigs led to this being looked at as a hate crime as well.

Near the end of 2015, a Molotov cocktail attack took place at the Tracy Islamic Center in San Joaquin County, California. CBS News reported that about $1,000 worth of damage was done to the mosque.

Police were not able to locate surveillance video of that incident and couldn’t even get a description of a suspect. The intent of the attack is still unknown, but police have not yet ruled out it being a hate crime.

Just days before, a fire at a mosque in Houston was recorded as a two-alarm blaze that caused major damage. No one was injured, but the fire was being looked at as a suspicious act.

The bacon placed on the doors of the Las Vegas mosque is something that may seem trivial to some people, but it is a very serious situation for the Muslim community. The hate crime is still being investigated by the police and FBI, and authorities hope the offer of a reward will bring forth some information.

[Image by Tannis Toohey/Getty Images]