Muslim leaders in the Inland area and across the nation are holding blood drives, open houses and other public events to stem a rise in anti-Muslim sentiment following the San Bernardino mass shooting.

At least one mosque has apparently been targeted in Riverside County. Authorities arrested Carl J. Dial Jr., 23, on suspicion of several felony crimes, including commission of a hate crime, arson and burglary in connection with a Dec. 11 fire at the Masjid Ibrahim Mosque. He has pleaded not guilty.

And Baitus Salaam Mosque in Hawthorne was vandalized Dec. 13 when someone spray-painted “Jesus” on the front gate and drew crucifixes on the windows. A plastic hand grenade replica also was left in the driveway.

In response to those incidents, the mosque in Hawthorne held a Dec. 18 open house to show the public how Muslims pray.

The Baitul Hameed Mosque in Chino, associated with the same denomination as the Hawthorne mosque, held a blood drive on behalf of San Bernardino victims Dec. 13.

And on Saturday, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan will be honored at the annual West Coast convention of the Ahmadiyya denomination of Islam.

RELATED: More coverage of the San Bernardino shooting

Ahsan Khan – president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Los Angeles East Chapter, which includes Chino, Chino Hills and Pomona – said it’s important for mosques to play a role in educating Americans about Islam because many do not personally know a Muslim.

“We need to come out and denounce what happened,” said Khan. “If you stay silent, you’re not promoting the peaceful message of Islam.”

Khan said the initial reaction after the San Bernardino shooting was not to denounce the attack, but to first pray for the victims and their families.

“It’s our duty, our obligation to pray,” Khan said. “That was our first reaction.”

“Second, we need to extend our support,” Khan added.

Khan said the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community reached out to San Bernardino police and Mayor Carey Davis and contributed $10,000 to a city fund established for the victims’ families.

Omer Mohammed Ali, chairman of the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley’s board of directors, said they, too, are planning an open house. Such events are crucial, he said.

“That’s very, very important … (for people) to see how we worship, and how we deliver the message of being a good Muslim,” he said.

U.S. Muslim leaders on Monday also pledged to counter recruitment efforts by extremists such as the Islamic State group.

The plans were announced in Washington, one day after an emergency summit on anti-Muslim bias that drew about 100 leaders from across the country.

Among the participants were the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Islamic Society of North America and the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Organizers said they’ll work with civil rights and interfaith groups to try to defeat politicians like Donald Trump who has called for a “complete shutdown” on Muslims entering the United States.

Public outreach is important during times of crisis, one public relations expert said.

From a public relations point of view, it’s beneficial for any institution to be transparent, said Hal Dash, chairman of Cerrell Associates, a Southern California public affairs agency.

“It’s great to open your doors and talk to people … but I think there has been a lot of years of suspicion built up,” Dash said. “It’s a pretty large public relations challenge.”

Dash noted the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center; the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; and now San Bernardino.

“With any institution that’s had a negative light cast for a particular amount of time, whether it’s a corporation, a religion … (there) needs to be a sustained effort over a period of time because people’s fears aren’t overcome with one-shot events,” he said.

“It has to be a sustained kind of programming so people get to understand, in this case, what Islam is about.

“Their questions need to be answered,” Dash added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: amolina@pe.com or 951-368-9762