Leaders of mosques where California shooter prayed say rampage betrayed Islam

SAN BERNARDINO (Reuters) California shooter Syed Rizwan Farook was a devout Muslim who made a pilgrimage to Mecca in 2013 and prayed regularly at a mosque in Riverside, California and later at one in nearby San Bernardino, officials at the mosques said on Thursday.

Syed Rizwan Farook is pictured in his California driver’s license, in this undated handout provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, December 3, 2015. REUTERS/California Department of Motor Vehicles/Handout

is someone who used to listen to my sermons, my talks here, said Mustafa Kuko, director of the Islamic Center of Riverside. sat up last night thinking about him and what happened.

Kuko has trouble understanding how Farook could have betrayed the very principles of his religion. told in Islam if you take one human life, it as if you taken all of mankind.

Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27, his wife and mother of his canada goose 6 month old daughter, were killed in canada goose uk shop a shootout with police after the couple opened uk canada goose fire at the Inland Regional Canada Goose Coats On Sale Center social services agency in the city of San Bernardino, killing 14 people.

Syed Rizwan Farook is pictured in his California driver’s uk canada goose outlet license, in canada goose coats on sale this undated canada goose clearance sale handout provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, December 3, 2015. REUTERS/California Department of Motor Vehicles/Handout

Mahmood canada goose factory sale Nadvi, an assistant imam at the Dar Al cheap canada goose uk Uloom Al Islamiyah Amer mosque Canada Goose Jackets in San Bernardino, which Farook began attending in 2014, was equally disturbed. can be a true Muslim and sleep after this, he said weep for our brothers and Canada Goose online sisters lost in humanity.

Kuko recalls that Farook attended prayers at the Riverside mosque first thing in the morning and last thing at night until he abruptly quit showing up for services Canada Goose Online in 2014. was a very quiet person, peaceful, buy canada goose jacket never had any argument with Canada Goose Outlet anyone or dispute, he recalled.

The year before, in 2013, Kuko said, Farook told him about a Pakistani woman Canada Goose Outlet living in Saudi Arabia whom he hoped to marry, and he asked for Kuko blessing. Later that year, Farook married Malik Canada Goose sale in Saudi Arabia and returned with her to celebrate the canada goose uk outlet union at the Islamic Center in Riverside with a party for an estimated 250 to 300 people.

FBI and police continue their investigation around the area of the SUV vehicle where two suspects were shot by police following a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California December 3, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Kuko recalls Farook that night as being much pleased, relaxed, comfortable, he said. didn infer anything abnormal.

Nizaam Ali, a 23 year old student who got to know Farook after he began attending canada https://www.salecanadagooseoutlets.com/ goose store the San Bernardino mosque, recalled Farook saying his wife canada goose clearance wore the niqab, a veil that covers the entire face canadian goose jacket except for the eyes, and that he liked that about her.

Kuko said he couldn recall ever hearing Farook canada goose uk black friday express extreme ideology. he had ever expressed his ideas, we could have tried to stop it, he said. would buy canada goose jacket cheap have shut it down.

In the wake of the shootings, the San Bernardino mosque received a phone threat that prompted cheap Canada Goose an investigation by police, Nadvi said.

At the Riverside mosque, as many as 1,700 people typically show up for Canada Goose Parka Friday prayer. One focus of their thoughts and prayers this week will canada goose coats be for Anies Kondoker, a mosque member who was among those injured in Wednesday shooting, Kuko said. She has three children and her canada goose black friday sale husband is the program director.

Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb, writing by Robin Respaut; Editing by Sue Horton and Cynthia Osterman.