Vandalism of Philadelphia mosque sees calls for hate crime probe

Civil rights advocates in the US are urging for a hate crime probe following the vandalism of a mosque in Philadelphia. 

Early last Friday morning, an individual, who remains at large, spray painted graffiti on the entrance walls of Masjid Al-Jamia in West Philadelphia.

The vandalism was discovered by mosque administrators when they arrived for early morning prayers. Masjid Al-Jamia was the fourth mosque in Philadelphia to have been vandalised in 2023, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).

Written on the mosque's main entrance were the words "Give peace a chance" with a peace sign and the word "God" with a star of David replacing the middle letter. Given the content of the message on the mosque and Israel's ongoing war on Gaza, the attack is believed to have a bias motive.

"We are calling on Philadelphia communities to stand united in the face of today's dehumanising rhetoric against Muslims. The kind of violation Masjid Al-Jamia has seen is unacceptable," Ahmet Tekelioglu, executive director of CAIR-Philadelphia, said in a public statement.

"Our office continues to see an unprecedented uptick in reports alleging bias incidents and discrimination. Law enforcement must investigate this vandalism as a hate crime."

Shuja Moore, a representative for the mosque, said in a public statement: "We will not be intimidated by such bigotry. Our beautiful and amazingly diverse Al-Jamia community is more committed than ever to continue our efforts toward building bridges in our community and dispel the stereotypes about Islam. Should they come forward and admit to their mistake, we will be ready to have an informative and restorative conversation with this individual."

Meanwhile, Jewish Voice for Peace in Philadelphia has made multiple statements of support of the mosque following the vandalism.

The latest is a community letter-writing campaign, planned for Thursday.