CORVALLIS -- The parking lot in front of the Salman Alfarisi Islamic Center filled Monday with community members and religious leaders uniting against the arson that charred the mosque's office the day before.

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"This shouldn't happen here -- it shouldn't happen anywhere -- but Corvallis is a wonderful, open community," said Laurie Holst as she stopped by the mosque to drop off a potted plant and card.

The gifts were part of a growing cluster of poinsettias, bouquets and cards placed in front of the men's entrance to the mosque.

A police sergeant discovered the fire about 2:15 a.m. Sunday. It was contained to the office, damaging 80 percent of that area. The fire followed the arrest of Mohamed Osman Mohamud in a Portland bomb plot. Mohamud, a Somali-born naturalized U.S. citizen, was a student at Oregon State University and occasionally attended the center.

The FBI is sending evidence from the fire scene to its main laboratory in Quantico, Va., for evaluation by specialists. The agency is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

"We have made it quite clear that the FBI will not tolerate any kind of retribution or attack on the Muslim community," said Arthur Balizan, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon. "We will find the person responsible for this attack and bring the full force of the federal justice system to bear."

Holst has lived in Corvallis for more than 25 years. She went to school at Oregon State and now works there as an adviser for students in natural resources.

"This is as abhorrent as what happened in Portland -- this is just wrong, it shouldn't happen anywhere or here," she said, fighting back tears. "I want these folks that worship here to know that this is not Corvallis ... it's some redneck idiot."

For Mohamed Siala, the director of the mosque, the outpouring of support served as a silver lining.

"This is how the community in Corvallis is here," he said as he spoke with Benjamin Barnett, rabbi at Beit Am, a local synagogue. "We want you to pray for us and use this opportunity to get closer to each other."

Barnett said members of his synagogue planned to meet to discuss what they can do to best offer support -- fundraising probably won't be necessary because the damage will be covered by insurance.

"The main thing we want to do is show solidarity," Barnett said. "The news should be that the majority of us want to stand side by side."

The FBI has asked anyone with information about the case to call 541-766-6506 or send an e-mail to

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