Massachusetts civil rights leaders are calling for a hate crime investigation after they said a sign at a Muslim religious institution in Boston was defaced with the word "Nazis."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations' Massachusetts chapter said Tuesday that the vandalism happened at the Islamic Seminary of Boston and the Palestinian Cultural Center for Peace, located on Quint Avenue in the city's Allston neighborhood.
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"We urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate this disturbing incident as a hate crime," CAIR Massachusetts Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud said in a statement. "All Americans, whatever their faith or ethnicity, should be free from acts of intimidation and hate."
In a statement to the Boston Globe, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden called the incident "a despicable act that goes beyond simple vandalism."
"It is intended to harm and vilify members of our community and we will explore all charging options — including civil rights violations — if and when an arrest is made," Hayden said, according to the Globe.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions worldwide following Hamas' invasion of Israel.
As of Tuesday night, Israel was reporting 1,200 deaths, with the Palestinian Health Ministry saying at least 900 have been killed in Gaza.
CAIR noted that it was urging security precautions at houses of worship "after a surge in racist, hateful and threatening rhetoric online, as well as inflammatory comments by political leaders."
Also on Tuesday, a pro-Palestine student group at Harvard University said it was postponing a vigil "due to credible safety concerns and threats against student security." A statement from the same group a day earlier, holding Israel "entirely responsible for all unfolding violence," sparked controversy, with lawmakers criticizing it and the school's response.
A report earlier this year from the Anti-Defamation League also found a recent rise in antisemitic incidents and rhetoric in Massachusetts and nationwide.
