Local Mosque: Target of Hate Crime

    By Alexandria Jezina

     Last week between Sept. 12 and 13, a local mosque in North Shore in Long island, NY was targeted and vandalized with graffiti and toilet paper. The graffiti include hateful comments such as “The War Will Rise” and “RIP US Ambassador” referring to the death of American Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens. Suffolk Police have stated the event is an example of hate crime against the mosque that never experienced any previous problems in its 20 years in the area.

Photo Credit of deenfeeds.com

      The hate crime though local may reveal some inner-targeted feeling towards those of the Islamic faith since the death of the American Ambassador. His death is attributed to the striking and raiding of the US Consulate in Libya which was called for by extremists of the Islamist faith due to the movie “The Innocence of Islam”. The movie that offended Muslims due to the disdaining of their Prophet Muhammad has caused striking among Muslims across the world including the Middle East and even Greece recently.

      What is most upsetting about this situation is the fact that the mosque condemned the acts of those violently rioting in Libya and mourned the death of the deceased American Ambassador the day he died. Worshipers of the mosque have voiced their fear and grief over the event, speaking out on how this could happen in a country that they love so dearly and is their home. The hate crime committed reveals a bigoted misconception towards Muslims that will even further America’s international tension with countries such as Libya if the view is taken on by Americans in important political positions.