FBI Reviewing Islamic Cemetery Vandalism In Castle Rock

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- An Islamic cemetery that was initially denied a permit in suburban Minneapolis has now been vandalized.

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations says vandals recently entered the Al Maghfirah cemetery in Castle Rock Township and spray painted profanities and swastikas. CAIR-MN says the vandals also damaged walls, furniture and other property. One spray-painted message apparently says: "Leave, you R dead."

Last year, a court forced Castle Rock Township to issue a conditional use permit for the cemetery, finding that the township's initial decision to deny the permit was arbitrary.

CAIR-MN executive director Jaylani Hussein says the vandalism comes at a time of increasing anti-Muslim incidents nationwide.

FBI spokesman Jeff Van Nest says the bureau received information about the incident and is reviewing it.

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.