Donny Mower, who drove a school bus in Chowchilla, pleaded guilty in October. Mower’s family says the 38 year-old deserves the time he will spend in prison. “He is guilty of that. He is a young man that is mentally ill and acted out on ideas in his head that are false and wrong,” said his stepfather, Jeff Ratley.
Mower admitted to throwing a Molotov cocktail through the ground floor window of the Madera Planned Parenthood Clinic. The fire forced the clinic to close for two days and caused $26,000 in damages.
Mower will also serve time for throwing a brick at a Madera mosque in 2010 and leaving signs that read, “Wake up America, The enemy is here.” A spokesperson for the mosque said members are still recovering from Mower’s actions. Muham-ed Ali, with the Madera Islamic Center said, “The shock that set in after it happened forced people to think it could happen at any time when they are praying.”
Mower’s family said he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In a written statement, the Madera Muslim community told the court:
“Seeking retribution for damage caused to one’s life or property is a natural instinct within the human psyche that has always existed and will continue to exist. After all, our entire legal system in America—as well as those of other nations—is based on a system of retribution for damages. That is the human understanding of justice.
“While the media attempts to vilify Muslims by focusing on the most radical fringe elements of the Muslim population, the general public— unfortunately ignorant when it comes to Muslim values, beliefs, and practices— has accepted a skewed image of our religion. Our mosques are vandalized and torched, our brothers and sisters in faith are harassed and beaten, and our children face bullying in schools by their peers and teachers alike.…
“It would be well within our right to enact retribution for damages done to our property. But our religion asks of us more than mere vengeance – it asks us to be just and merciful, and where possible, to forgive those who have wronged us.
“As the Qoran states: ‘If you punish, then punish with the like of that with which you were afflicted. But if you endure patiently, indeed it is better for the patient. Endure patiently, for your patience is not granted except through the assistance of God.’ (An-Nahl 16:126-7)
“Mr. Mower does not like Muslims. He has made it clear that he views us as his enemies. But perhaps a token of kindness may soften his heart. And if not, then we would much rather stand on the side of forgiveness and mercy, than of retribution and vengeance. That was the way of our beloved Prophet Muhammad.”