Miami Muslim Congregation On Edge Over Mosque Vandal(s)

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Federal investigators are looking into recent incidents of several strange items found on the grounds of a South Florida mosque and school.

The items alone may not send a threatening message – an unopened laptop, a wooden cross, a star-covered jacket and American flag sunglasses. But where the items were found has worshippers at the Islamic School of Miami worried.

"To me it doesn't scare me, but we have children here," mosque leader Milal Karakira told CBS4's Natalia Zea.

Iyad Sheikh, 13, was on his way to class when he saw the items placed by the West Kendall religious school's gate Thursday morning. He also saw a box of vanilla milk, cables, cutting tools and skulls.

"I got really scared cause skulls like death and milk is like for kids, babies, so they're threatening the youth of this community," sad Sheikh.

Then, Thursday afternoon someone came back and left the cross with the sunglasses on top of a donation box inside the mosque.

"This is a threat. We feel it's a threat," said mosque and school chairman Naveem Anjum.

Someone also took the time to spray paint the front sign on a busy street with reflective paint and they left behind the spray paint can.

Someone also knocked over the mosque's other sign.

The timing of these actions is significant. Thursday was a holy day in the Muslim faith. And leaders say back on September 11th someone left a briefcase filled with ISIS propaganda and tools on their campus right before the start of school.

"You can imagine our little children from the age of 4, when they come and see something like that, what will they think?" said Anjum.

Mosque leaders also noted on a day when the world watched the Pope lead an inter-faith prayer, Catholics alongside Jews and Muslims, this kind of message is unnecessary and unwelcome.

Young Iyan Sheikh said simply, "We didn't do anything to you, we're not harming. We're just a religion of peace."

The FBI is investigating these incidents and the US Attorney says they are "working vigilantly to protect these kinds of institutions in our community."

Anyone with information is urged to call Miami-Dade Crimestoppers at (305) 471-TIPS.