Texas made headlines earlier this week after Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to President Obama declaring a refusal to allow Syrian refugees into state boarders. In addition, a mosque in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin, was vandalized late Sunday (Nov. 15) leaving local Muslims distraught and without a place of worship.
Upon hearing news of the vandalized mosque, Jack Swanson, a 7-year-old boy, wanted to help. According to ABC News, his mother Laura Swanson emptied his piggy bank and brought the money to the Islamic Center of Pflugerville for donation.
The ABC News story, which includes a video of Jack handing over his $20 donation, has since gone viral, racking up more than 15,000 shares to date. Faisal Naeem, one of the mosque’s board members, was moved by Jack and his mother’s act of kindness.
“Jack’s $20 are worth $20 million to us because it’s the thought that counts,” Naeem said in an interview with ABC News. “Jack is a just a little older than my son, Ibrahim. If we have more kind-hearted kids like them in the world, I have hope for our future.”
Laura Swanson told ABC affiliate KVUE that she and her son wanted to support the mosque to show that “what happened in Paris is not what’s happening in Pflugerville.”
According to a mosque member, the vandalism cleanup cost about $150. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
To learn more about Islam and what Muslims believe, visit Deily.
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