Muslim Leaders Say Woman Who Burglarized Tempe Mosque in Hate Video Deserves Chance at Redemption

Members of the Phoenix-area Muslim community were forgiving of the woman who was sentenced Tuesday for her role in a Facebook live-stream that depicted her and a friend burglarizing a Tempe mosque in front of her children in March 2018. Tahnee Gonzales was sentenced to 225 hours of community service and two years of supervised probation during proceedings before Judge Mark Brain in Maricopa County Superior Court.

Gonzales, who in the live-stream made anti-Muslim remarks, was also ordered to write an apology to the Islamic Community Center of Tempe. Gonzales later made a statement denouncing her actions as “reprehensible” and apologized, saying she was wrongly influenced by fringe voices. Her attorney said Gonzales, as part of her community service, would work to help facilitate positive interaction between Non-Muslim and Muslim voices in the community.