The Council of American-Islamic Relations is calling for hate crime charges to be filed in a series of incidents targeting the Muslim community.
In Austin, worshipers at a mosque found a pig heads masks along with a disturbing sign outside the Islamic Center of Greater Austin and Austin Peace Academy on Saturday.
The consumption of pork is forbidden in the Muslim community and pigs are often used to harass Muslims.
According to Fox 7, the sign read “You are as unclean to God as a pig is to you. Have your idolatry washed clean with the blood of Jesus Christ.”
In a statement, CAIR said “While our community united with our fellow Americans to help build a better nation, a small hate-filled minority continues to use bigotry and intimidation to attempt to divide us and dishonor the lives lost on that tragic day.”
Earlier on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, CAIR hosted a soup kitchen and held a free COVID-19 vaccination drive, the Austin-American Statesman reported.
In Michigan, CAIR expressed concern about two separate incidents on 9/11.
The Grand Blanc Islamic Center in Grand Blanc found one of its signs vandalized and exterior lighting damaged. CAIR called the action “shameful” and asked authorities to investigate it as a hate crime.
In the other incident, CAIR says a passenger aboard a Spirit Airline flight harassed a South Asian passenger as well as minority members of the flight crew. When Aicha Toure asked the woman to stop harassing the older passenger, she says the belligerent passenger called her a “Muslim terrorist” along with a number of profanities.
The woman is also accused of striking Toure with her fists.
“We call for the suspect who allegedly spewed anti-Muslim rhetoric during the assault to be charged to the full extent of the law,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. “Swift arrests along with strong prosecutions must be instituted to deter future acts of anti-Muslim hate crimes.”
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