The Ivy City Mosque in the 2000 block of Gallaudet Street NW was first ransacked Monday night. Mohammed Mobaidin, the director of the mosque, said the damage was minor. Police had decided it was not a hate crime, because another vandalism was reported nearby around the same time.
Mobaidin had planned to install cameras following Monday night's incident, but refused to close the house of worship.
Another vandalism was reported late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning at the same mosque. According to Mobaidin, vandals ripped religious hangings from the walls and broke furniture.
"We locked all the doors and I opened the door and there it goes again ... that indicated to me, this might be some kind of hate crime," Mobaidin said.
"Something is wrong there, detectives will give us answers," Nihad Awad with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CARE) said.
The mosque has been in the District for 17 years; Mobaidin refuses to leave the neighborhood.
"That makes me stronger, staying in this neighborhood. It doesn't make me want to close down a mosque," Mobaidin said.
CARE is offering a $500 for information that leads to an arrest.
NBC News