Police believe they know culprit in anti-Islam incident

While police believe they know who posted the obscene material, no one has been arrested or cited as they wind up their investigation, according to Sgt. Marty Sayre. The suspect’s name has therefore not been released.

The police reports will be forwarded to prosecutors for review and possible charges.

Help from witnesses and the public were credited with moving the investigation forward.

Graphic, sexually explicit cartoons were posted on utility poles in the 10 block of Second Avenue Northeast and the 300 block of Fifth Avenue South. They were found Tuesday.

Sayre said prosecutors have told investigators that they will pursue charges in the case. State law prohibits the distribution of obscene material, which is defined as work that the average person would find offensive and serves no literary, artistic, political or scientific purpose.

The incident can be reported as a bias offense. Being reported as such does not mean it will lead to an enhanced sentence, but can be reported for statistical purposes.

St. Cloud Police Department reported nine bias offenses in 2008, according to the FBI Hate Crime Statistics report. One of those was motivated by religion.

At least two advocacy groups have come forward to condemn the cartoons. The state chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations spoke out against the cartoons Thursday and asked other religious and political leaders to do the same.

“Our state’s political and religious leaders need to speak out strongly against anti-Muslim hate, just as they would speak out against any other form of intolerance,” said CAIR-MN Communications Director Jessica Zikri on Thursday.

On Friday the executive director of Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas issued a statement condemning the cartoons. Steve Hunegs called the acts heinous and urged anyone with information to come forward.

“It is tragic that extremists cling to racists, xenophobic, anti-Islamic, and other bigoted ideas,” Hunegs said in a statement. “The Muslim community is an integral part of the diverse and democratic society in Minnesota and we stand in solidarity with them.”