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More than 2,000 individuals gathered in a San Diego park on Thursday to pay their respects to a security guard and two other men who lost their lives while attempting to stop this week’s assault on the largest mosque in the city. Men and women, including uniformed police officers, formed rows for the funeral prayer, or Janazah, honoring the three men, celebrated by mourners as heroes for their bravery in delaying and diverting the attackers, thus preventing further violence, especially as children were present at the mosque’s school.
The remains of Amin Abdullah, 51; Mansour Kaziha, 78; and Nadir Awad, 57, rested beneath cloths and rugs, beneath a white canopy. Mourners chanted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is the greatest”) in Arabic, raising their hands in prayer during the service held in a park nestled between the city’s riverfront and a soccer stadium.
Later that day, the three men were scheduled to be buried side by side at a nearby cemetery. The imam of the center, Taha Hassane, emphasized the resilience of the community despite the tragedy, noting that attendees had come from across the United States and California to honor the fallen.
The FBI is looking into the attack as a potential hate crime. The murders have heightened anxiety among Muslim communities across the country amid escalating Islamophobia. Ruba Abu Jamah, who knew all three men personally, appealed for an end to hatred toward Muslims, questioning why the mother of one of the teenage suspects, who had alerted authorities about her son’s suicidal tendencies, reportedly allowed him access to firearms.
“Why are we going backwards? Hate sets us back,” Abu Jamah stated as hearses carried the bodies away for burial. “Parents, don’t display weapons if you know your 16-year-old is struggling.”
Police stated Abdullah was shot during a gunfight with the teenage assailants, during which he used his radio to initiate a lockdown procedure. The attackers, after hearing gunfire, fled the scene in their vehicle and were later found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Kaziha, the mosque’s handyman and cook, and Awad, whose wife teaches at the center and who lived nearby, were also killed after hearing gunfire and rushing toward the mosque. Abdullah’s efforts in delaying the attackers are credited with giving the 140 students inside the center time to hide in closets and other spaces.
The suspects fled the scene in their vehicle, and police later discovered them dead inside from self-inflicted wounds. Khaled Abdullah, the son of the security guard, expressed pride in his father’s bravery, saying, “He was on the front line fighting to protect kids and innocent people. Calling him a hero is the least we can do.”
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