43°
Someone forced their way in sometimes before 4:30 a.m. April 10, broke glass and destroyed artwork and various other possessions, Rutgers Police Chief Kenneth Cop said.
The attack came on Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday commemorating the end of sunrise-to-dusk fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.
"Today we witnessed art pieces with Quranic verses, shattered windows, vandalized TVs, broken printers, smashed artwork and the destruction of our Palestinian flag," the center wrote in a statement.
"This reprehensible act, occurring on our sacred day, is undoubtedly fueled by Islamophobia," the center added. "[It] is clearly a hate crime targeting our Muslim population at Rutgers."
An angry New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said he's dispatched members of his office to work with State Police, Rutgers police, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and the state Division on Civil Rights in pursuing those responsible.
Platkin called the attack an "appalling" and "terrible" assault on "an important place of gathering for Muslims on campus."
"We have been in direct contact with Muslim leaders across the state this morning to ensure that they know that they have our full and unwavering support during this difficult time," the attorney general said.
******
ANYONE who might have seen something, or has information that can help authorities identify those responsible, is asked to contact the Rutgers University Police Detective Bureau: (848) 932-8025.
******
The Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) is on College Avenue in the heart of the school's main campus.
"On the auspicious occasion of Eid, our hearts are heavy as we report an act of vandalism at the Muslim Chaplaincy house at Rutgers University," the center said in its statement.
"Despite what happened at our Center this morning Eid prayers went ahead at Cook Student Center," another post reads.
"Thank you for all of the prayers of support!" the center wrote. "Thank you to RU administration and faculty and staff. Thank you to law enforcement from all levels of government.
"Our building can be smashed, but our wills cannot. God is Greater than acts of hate and we will continue to carry on."
The university issued a statement:
“At Rutgers, hatred and bigotry have no place, nor should they have a place anywhere in the world. All forms of discrimination are never acceptable. The university strongly condemns acts of vandalism, intolerance, and xenophobia, such as those demonstrated in the incident at the Center for Islamic Life,” university officials said in a statement.
Gov. Phil Murphy said he was "disgusted" by the news. "Islamophobia has NO place in New Jersey," the governor said.
Platkin said the pursuit of those responsible will be relentless.
"Let me be clear: New Jersey will not tolerate acts of hate against the Muslim community," the attorney general said. "We will continue to work tirelessly, using every tool at our disposal to ensure that all New Jerseyans live without fear, knowing that our state’s diversity is supported, protected, and embraced."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fort Lee and receive free news updates.
