Ex-US soldier gets 20-year prison term for setting mosque on fire

A former US Marine has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for committing hate crimes against American Muslims by setting a mosque on fire in the US state of Ohio.

A federal judge in the US city of Toledo ruled against Randy Linn on Tuesday, while also ordering him to pay USD 1.4 million for damages to the mosque.

“Hate crimes like this seek to damage more than buildings – they take aim at our American way of life,” said Steven Dettelbach, attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

“But today’s 20-year prison sentence and the coming together of this community to support our Muslim neighbors show that our freedoms are stronger and more resilient than this man’s hatred,” Dettelbach added.

On December 19, the ex-US soldier pleaded guilty to breaking into the Islamic Center of Greater Toledo and setting fire to a prayer rug because he became enraged after seeing images of wounded American soldiers in the news and wanted to avenge US troops killed overseas.

When asked by a federal judge whether he thought all Muslims are terrorists, the 52-year-old Linn said, “I’d say most of them are.”

Prosecutors said Linn entered the mosque on September 30 and poured gasoline on the prayer rug before igniting it. He also had several firearms in his car and carried a gun into the mosque, which was empty at the time.

US District Judge Jack Zouhary told Linn that his acts were an attack on all places of religion and that the mosque was a symbol of peace.

“You are no better than the terrorists or extremists you sought to punish,” Zouhary said.