Authorities are investigating as a possible hate crime a man seen on surveillance video shoveling garbage and urine at the door of a mosque on Long Island.
ABC7 News reports police in Nassau County said it happened twice at the Faizan-e-Aisha Masjid on August 13.
It was not reported until yesterday after the same man came and threatened violence against those coming to worship.
“I believe what his words were, were ‘don’t bomb us,’ which obviously it’s a ridiculous comment,” Tahmeed Kalam, of Hicksville said to News12. “Since 9/11, so you’re talking about 20 years now, the Muslim community has faced a lot of backlash in America for things that have nothing to do with us.”
Earlier this month, CAIR-NY condemned hate vandalism of a Long Island Sikh temple and a hate attack against a 13-year-old Sikh boy, which also occurred on Long Island.
“This type of apparently bias-motivated attack on a house of worship is absolutely unacceptable and should be condemned by political and religious leaders of all backgrounds,” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher in a statement sent to AsAmNews. “As we approach the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, we must all stress national unity and mutual understanding, not division and hatred.”
Some fear this latest act of vandalism is connected to the recent suicide bombing at the airport in Afghanistan.
“This is obviously an act that none of us here expected that would happen in this community, in this neighborhood,” said mosque member Aiman Khan to ABC7.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story or making a contribution.
