The man is charged with a hate crime and also with use of a fire to commit a federal felony in the January 2017 fire that destroyed an Islamic center in Victoria

A federal prosecutor says a “rabid hatred” of Muslims led a 26-year-old man to set fire to a Southeast Texas mosque.

Prosecutor Sharad Khandelwal made the claim Monday during opening statements in the trial of Marq Vincent Perez.

Perez is charged with a hate crime and also with use of a fire to commit a federal felony in the January 2017 fire that destroyed an Islamic center in Victoria.

A federal law enforcement officer testified earlier that an informant said Perez believed the center’s worshippers were terrorists.

Authorities last year also charged Perez with possession of an unregistered destructive device in an indictment unrelated to the mosque fire.

If convicted of the hate crime charge, the most serious count, Perez could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.

“It is in our religion, it is in our teaching that we forgive those who trespass against us, and we let the justice system take its course, and we certainly believe god will render justice after all,” said Omar Rachid a spokesman for the Victoria Islamic Center.

What an inspiring/uplifting story. After the Victoria Islamic Center in Texas was destroyed in a 2017 fire, the town's Jewish leaders handed the keys to their synagogue over to the Muslim leaders & invited them to use it for worship at any time. Humanity prevails. Thank goodness. pic.twitter.com/GWuSgC0yJW — Dr. Craig Considine (@CraigCons) July 9, 2018

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