San diego: The US' largest Muslim civil rights group on Thursday sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) urging immediate action to restore Muslim community access to grants to boost security following a deadly attack at a mosque in San Diego.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) warned in the letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin that Muslim communities in the US are being deprived of opportunities under the nonprofit security grant program to enhance their security, as long as DHS fails to address reports that Muslim groups have been denied equal access to these funds.

The letter highlighted past concerns, stating that under prior DHS leadership, American Muslim organizations nationwide reported widespread concern about being excluded or discouraged from participating in the grant program. It mentioned media reports alleging that the DHS had paused and stripped funding from dozens of Muslim organizations under vague and reportedly bad-faith allegations of extremism.

CAIR's letter underscored a pattern of anti-Muslim attacks on mosques across the country, including planned mass shootings, arson attacks, bomb threats, and violent assaults. It emphasized the importance of administering federal security programs to protect Muslim communities.

This call to action followed an incident where three people, including a security guard, were fatally shot at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Authorities are investigating the attack as a hate crime, noting that the two suspects died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. The attack occurred the week before the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha and the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.