'Islam must die' and swastika sprayed on walls of University of Birmingham and mosque
Police are believe the two incidents are linked and are investigating the case
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Vandals sprayed Islamophobic and anti-Semitic graffiti including “Islam must die” and large swastikas on the walls of a university campus and mosque in Birmingham.
The offensive message were sprayed in black paint on the red brick wall of the University of Birmingham, in Edgbaston, student newspaper The Tab Birmingham reported.
Police believe the incident is linked with another incident of Islamophobic graffiti that was daubed on Jalalabad Trust Mosque – less than a mile away from the campus in Selly Oak – as the graffiti appears to be similar, a spokeswoman for West Midlands Police confirmed today.
The graffiti, which has been removed from both sites, is thought to have been sprayed some time between Friday evening and yesterday morning. Police are now investigating the case and reviewing CCTV footage to catch the culprit.
West Midlands Police urged witnesses who saw anyone spraying the words and the symbol associated with the Nazis on the side of the Psychology building to come forward.
Sergeant Pete Sandhu said: “Mindless hate of this kind has no place in 21st century Birmingham and work is underway to find the person responsible.”
Second-year student Hannah Sharron wrote in an open letter to the vandals: “You will not force Jewish students off campus. You will not intimidate Muslim students. You will not disrespect the memories of every minority persecuted under the Nazi regime, for whom any adjective – vile, disgusting, horrible – seems too mild.”
Fiyaz Mughal from organisation Tell MAMA UK (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks) said of the graffiti: “This is appalling, where someone has the guts and chutzpah to place such a statement inferring that Islam must die on a university campus that has lots of Muslim students.
“If that is the case, one can easily infer that this person wants Muslims to be killed and was trying to put themselves outside of hate speech.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.