$870K raised to rebuild South Texas mosque destroyed in fire

An online fund established to raise money for the rebuilding of a South Texas mosque destroyed by fire over the weekend has far exceeded its goal of $850,000.

A GoFundMe page established on behalf of the Islamic Center of Victoria indicated Monday that about $870,000 has been raised in just two days. The page shows more than 18,500 people have contributed.

Fire officials say it’s too early to determine the cause of the fire early Saturday morning.

The mosque was burglarized about a week ago and the target of a hate message in 2013, but Muslim leaders and others are cautioning against a rush to judgment.

The Victoria Advocate cites police estimates in reporting that about 400 people attended a prayer rally Sunday outside the remains of the mosque.