CAIR-MA calls for hate crime investigation after ‘Nazis’ painted on sign for Palestinian center

Boston police are investigating the recent vandalization of a sign for Palestinian and Islamic organizations in Boston.

Someone reportedly spray-painted the word “Nazis” on a sign for the Islamic Seminary of Boston and the Palestinian Cultural Center for Peace in Allston, prompting the Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations to call on authorities to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime.

“We urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to investigate this disturbing incident as a hate crime,” said CAIR-MA Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud in a statement Tuesday. “All Americans, whatever their faith or ethnicity, should be free from acts of intimidation and hate.”

A spokesperson for Boston police confirmed by phone Wednesday that the department is investigating.

The department did not immediately confirm when the incident took place, but an entry in the police public journal notes that a vandalism incident on Quint Avenue was reported Tuesday afternoon with the act occurring Friday around 2 p.m.

The incident was reported amid escalated tensions around the world in relation to the Israel-Hamas War, which has already claimed at least 2,200 lives on both sides, according to the Associated Press.

CAIR-MA noted that earlier in the day Tuesday, its national office had “urged houses of worship and human rights activists engaging in protests to take security precautions after a surge in racist, hateful and threatening rhetoric online, as well as inflammatory comments by political leaders.”

The Suffolk County District Attorney’s office was also aware of the vandalism incident in Boston.

“This is a despicable act that goes beyond simple vandalism,” District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “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.”