Lewiston, USA - An Islamic civil liberties group is decrying an episode in Lewiston in which a man tossed a pig's head into a mosque during prayers.
Brent Matthews, 33, of Lewiston, was charged with the misdemeanor crime of desecrating a church, officials said. The Lewiston Police Department referred the case to the Androscoggin County district attorney as well as the state attorney general.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, which learned of the incident, notified the FBI and U.S. Justice Department as well, said spokesman Ibrahim Hooper.
"All Americans should be able to offer prayers in their houses of worship without fear of attack or intimidation," Hooper said Wednesday.
The incident happened Monday night at the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center as about 40 men were bowed down as part of their prayer ritual. After the pig's head rolled in, the men raced outside to look for the perpetrator.
Muslims are prohibited from eating pork, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations contends the act was an insult upon Muslims.
Matthews told police it was supposed to be "a big joke," Lt. Don Mailhot said.
"The police department doesn't anything like that lightly," Mailhot said.
Lewiston is home to more than 2,000 Somali refugees, who began moving to Lewiston in 2001 to seek more affordable housing. The following year, Lewiston Mayor Larry Raymond created a furor by asking Somali community leaders to stop the influx.
Education and outreach are important, Hooper said, because anti-Islam prejudice decreases when people get to know ordinary Muslims.
"We urge Muslims in Maine to increase their outreach efforts to educate people of other faiths about Islam," Hooper said.