WASHINGTON, DC — On Sunday, the Moorhead Fargo Islamic Center in western Minnesota was vandalized with anti-Muslim and racist graffiti. The graffiti includes messages like “Death to Islam,” “N****r” and references to the video game series Command & Conquer. The following is a statement from Muslim Advocates Special Counsel for Anti-Muslim Bigotry Madihha Ahussain:

“No community should have to experience this kind of ugly hatred, especially during Ramadan. Our hearts go out to the Muslim community in Fargo and Moorhead and our thoughts will be with them this Ramadan. We are pleased that local authorities and the FBI are investigating this attack and we hope that there is a thorough hate crime investigation. It is a sad fact of life that houses of worship and other places where Muslims gather are targeted by bigots during Ramadan.

These threatening and racist messages are part of a longstanding wave of hate and violence directed at people of color. Further, the references to characters from a 1990s video game spray-painted on the mosque echo the irony and reference-laced manifesto of the Christchurch shooter. This hate is real and it is part of a larger, more dangerous reality for Muslims around the country. For the safety of those in Moorhead, and in all of Minnesota, we ask the state legislature to expand and update its hate crime laws to allow for easier reporting and to ensure that similar hateful, vandalism like this can properly be defined as a hate crime.”

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Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination.