LOS ANGELES, Oct 31 (IslamOnline) - Police have been investigating a case of vandalism at a Catholic church in nearby Culver City as a possible hate crime.
Vandals broke into the Catholic church in Culver City on Tuesday and cut off the left hand of a statue of the Virgin Mary. The head of another statue of the Virgin Mary was also cut off, while a third statue was completely smashed just a few steps from the church, leaving only the feet.
"This is very sad," said a member of the church. Other members of the congregation expressed their grief and sorrow. They said the vandalized status of the church is evidence of the high emotion and tension surfacing in the country following last month's deadly attacks in New York and Washington.
A damaged statue was recovered on the grounds of the King Fahd Mosque located nearby. Muslims at the mosque condemned the attack and stood in solidarity with the church, considering the attack as against their house of worship too.
Detectives say they are investigating the vandalism as a "hate crime". Investigators believe the attackers may have a "special agenda", declaring that they have strong leads as to the perpetrator.
"I think part of his problem is that he's blaming Muslims for his personal problems," said Tajuddin Shuayb, the mosque director.
Shuayb said the suspect arrested by the police is well known in the Muslim community. He added that the recovered of part of the statue at the mosque could be misinterpreted.
However, Usman Madha, the community liaison, told IslamOnline that they could not point to or blame anyone until authorities identify the real suspect.
Concerning King Fahd Mosque's relationship with the Catholic Church, Madha confirmed that they have excellent relationship. He also confirmed that the church was supportive when the mosque was first built.
"Our hearts are broken for what happened to the church. It shouldn't happen to them or to anybody," said Madha. "I would like to say to any mischief or trouble maker that he should think before committing such inappropriate acts because such acts hurt the country, the community and the Muslims in particular."
"It's really a shame," said Faten, 35, who was praying at the mosque. "We all condemn these crazy acts. We have no more room for such actions. People should think about what they do before putting everyone in trouble. Some individual's mistakes could cause suffers for the entire community."
