The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) called on university, state and federal law enforcement authorities to launch a hate crime investigation of the recent desecration of the Muslim prayer space at NYU’s Bobst Library, where an unidentified individual with access to university property vandalized the area and urinated on prayer mats.
SEE: Instagram Post
SEE: ICNYU Statement
SEE: NYU Statement
According to the Instagram Post, this vandalism occurred yesterday despite ongoing concerns raised by the campus Muslim community over the past year about their safety and the university’s inaction.
CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher, Esq. stated:
“This vile act of desecration is a direct assault on the Muslim community at NYU and beyond. For any student to walk into their prayer space—a sacred space—only to find it defiled, is deeply disturbing. Considering the insanely harsh and often unjust treatment Muslims face at this institution for non-egregious conduct, we expect NYU to immediately take measures to protect its Muslim students and ensure that those responsible are held fully accountable.
“We join students in demanding a full hate crime investigation and disciplinary action against the perpetrator. No student should fear for their safety or dignity while practicing their faith.”
She added that CAIR also encourages all houses of worship and campus faith groups to refer to CAIR’s Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety, available at https://www.cair.com/mosque-and-community-safety/.
Nasher noted that earlier this week, the New Jersey chapter CAIR welcomed the sentencing of a man who broke into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) in New Brunswick and thrashed the place nearly a year ago on Eid ul-Fitr.
CAIR launched its “Unhostile Campus Campaign” aimed at fostering a campus environment in which Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other students, faculty, and staff opposing the genocide in Gaza enjoy free speech and academic freedom and are not subjected to state force or university discipline due to their viewpoints.
CAIR previously designated NYU as an institution of particular concern due to reported incidents, policies, and discriminatory practices targeting Palestinian, Muslim, Arab, Jewish, and other individuals opposing the occupation, apartheid, and genocide. Other institutions of particular concern may be found at: https://islamophobia.org/category/hostile-campuses/
SEE: CAIR Designates NYU and Northwestern as ‘Institutions of Particular Concern’ for the Mistreatment of Anti-Genocide Voices
Students, staff, and faculty who wish for their university or college campus to be considered as a potential “institution of particular concern” should complete the ‘Report a Hostile Campus’ form.
The organization adds a disclaimer that the form is intended solely to inform CAIR’s ‘UnHostile Campus Campaign.’ Students, faculty, and affiliates seeking CAIR’s legal and advocacy services should continue to contact their local office or chapter, or in the event that there is no local chapter, file a formal report with CAIR’s National Civil Rights Department.
END
CONTACT: Afaf Nasher, Esq., Executive Director, anasher@cair.com, 917-669-4006
CAIR-NY Communications Team, comms@ny.cair.com