Worshipers at a mosque in Philadelphia found the severed head of a pig on its doorstep as violence against Muslims escalates around the country.
Following their early morning prayers at a Philadelphia mosque on Monday, worshipers were met upon leaving with the discovery of the head of a pig that was placed just outside their front door. Surveillance video showed a red pick up truck pulling up to the mosque after driving by a few times on Sunday night before something was seemingly tossed out of the truck’s widow toward the front door of the mosque.
The people driving the truck couldn’t be seen in the video footage and the pig’s head was apparently thrown from the passenger side window, according to The Washington Post. The head was found around 6AM on Monday morning and the building that houses the mosque also houses a school.
Islamic law doesn’t endorse the eating of pig and a spokesman for the mosque said that the act of leaving the pig head there was an act of hatred. While the spokesman admitted that it was just the head of a pig, he fears that such a bold action could lead to more violent behavior toward the mosques and the worshipers in the future.
Philadelphia police currently have no suspect or motive in the case. The Philadelphia mayor-elect Jim Kenney stated that there was no place for such bigotry as was shown at the mosque in the city of Philadelphia. Any suspect that is apprehended can be charged under certain city ordinances. The spokesman for the mosque mentioned that he had received a voice mail just after the attacks in Paris. The message left said that the Muslim god was a pig. That their god was pork.
Authorities say that this particular mosque has never before been the subject of an attack but officials are keeping in mind the increase in active hostility being shown toward Muslims all throughout the country. Attacks on mosques and on Muslim citizens have increased since the attacks in Paris and in San Bernardino.