Texas Town Rallies behind Muslims after Mosque Vandalism

Residents of a suburb in Austin, Texas have come together to show support to Muslims after a mosque was vandalized in the area.

Torn pages of the Holy Qur’an were thrown at the door of a mosque in an Austin suburb last week. The incident which came in the aftermath of the terror attacks in Paris, sparked concern about a backlash against Muslims.

Residents of the town came together and took to the streets with placards, condemning the vandalism. “Stop hating”, said one of the placards, while another said, “Keep your hate to yourself.”

Speaking out against the vandals, one woman said, “It is beholden to me, to stand together with my Muslim brothers and sisters, so that this kind of thing doesn’t happen anymore.”

Although there was no physical damage to the mosque, the vandalism came as a shock to residents. “I felt sad when I first found out about it because this didn’t happen after 9/11,” a resident of the area said.

Meanwhile, leaders of the mosque said that vandalism and threats against Muslims are on the rise and are becoming more common.

The mosque condemned the violence but said it has already forgiven the vandals. Although efforts have been ongoing, the vandals have not yet been caught.

Earlier, a seven-year-old boy donated all his savings, about $20, to the mosque. Jack Swanson, the young donor, went to the mosque on the afternoon the incident happened and handed over his savings.