Police investigating vandalism of Islamic center, second incident in six months
By Mirna Alsharif, CNN
Police are investigating vandalism at an Islamic center in Richmond, Virginia, a Henrico County Police Division spokesperson told CNN.
The incident Saturday was the second report of vandalism at West End Islamic Center in the past six months.
The most recent incident took place during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Police found “trash, graffiti, tables and chairs flipped inside the building” as well as a shattered glass window, Lieutenant Matthew Pecka told CNN.
“There were no notes or specifics regarding graffiti,” said Pecka. “Henrico Police has responded, documented the incident and this remains an open active investigation. We want all community members to feel safe in their place and choice of worship.”
Pecka added the incident is not currently classified as a hate crime and there will be increased patrols in the area.
The previous incident took place in November 2021 and it is not known if the two incidents are related, said Pecka.
The West End Islamic Center called the incidents “expressions of hatred” in a statement posted to their website and Facebook page. The statement includes pictures of the damage.
“Rights of all people of faith is a founding principle of America,” read the statement. “We do not know or understand the motivation of the person(s). What we do know, is that love is stronger than hate, and the members of our Mosque will stand together. We trust that our neighbors and friends will continue to stand with us and support our community as we worship during this holy month of Ramadan.”
The center was not able to capture the incident or potential suspects on camera but feels it merits local, state, and federal investigation, they said in the statement.
Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to get in touch with the Henrico Police Division.
The-CNN-Wire
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