Montgomery County police investigating after Islamophobic graffiti found at Bethesda high school
BETHESDA, Md. - Authorities are continuing to investigate after Islamophobic graffiti was found at a high school in Bethesda.
The graffiti reportedly included the phrases "F*** Muslims" and "Nuke Palestine," along with a Star of David painted on a school wall.
The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Montgomery County Muslim Council condemned the Islamophobic and hate-based graffiti discovered at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda.
What they're saying:
CAIR called the messages "deeply troubling and dehumanizing," and warned that these kinds of acts create an unsafe and hostile environment for Muslim students and the school community.
"Language that calls for the obliteration of a population victimized by over two years of genocide and decades-long oppression is an expression of abject, pathological cruelty," said CAIR’s Maryland director Zainab Chaudry. "Vandalism is not protected speech or political expression. Promoting hate and violence against any community is never acceptable in our institutions and communities. Muslim students deserve to feel safe, valued and protected. We urge school officials and law enforcement to fully investigate this incident, hold those responsible accountable, and take immediate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of impacted students."
"Our schools must be places of learning, not fear," said Asif Husain, President of the Montgomery County Muslim Council. "No child should be intimidated or made to feel unsafe because of their faith or identity. We stand with Muslim families across Montgomery County and call on community leaders to respond decisively and with compassion, making clear that hate and bigotry will not be tolerated."
Dig deeper:
CAIR is urging Montgomery County Public Schools to communicate transparently with families, provide trauma-informed support for affected students, and reaffirm a zero-tolerance policy for hate, threats, and intimidation.
The organization also urges community members to reject attempts to divide communities and to stand united against Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism, and all forms of bigotry.