Minnesota mosque vandalized by spray-painted graffiti

The Maplewood Police Department is seeking the public’s help in identifying suspects who spray-painted graffiti on the outside wall of the Islamic Institute of Minnesota’s Al-Salam Mosque.

Hawzah News Agency (Minnesota, US) –The mosque, located at 1460 Skillman Av., was damaged around 1:30 a.m. on July 29 with the message “666,” accompanied by an image, “Jesus saves” with a cross, and other graffiti. Photos taken from surveillance video appear to show two men spray-painting the mosque’s exterior wall.

“This type of crime is unacceptable and has no place in Maplewood,” Public Safety Director Scott Nadeau said in a news release.

Police encourage anyone with knowledge of the crime to contact them at 651-767-0640, or call 911 and ask for the on-duty sergeant to call back. Or, information can be given to Crime Stoppers of Minnesota at 800-222-8477 or online.

Minnesota’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN) called on police Sunday to investigate vandalism of a mosque in Maplewood as a hate crime.

“Given the nature of the vandalism and the empowerment of Islamophobia nationwide by some of our nation’s top officials, we urge law enforcement authorities to treat this vandalism as a possible hate crime,” CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein said.

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