Religiously motivated vandalism that doesn't involve an attack on a Christian church? It's an incredibly rare occurrence in the US, despite the myths often spread by the progressive media. That said, it is likely to become far more frequent as clashes between the west and eastern ideologies continue to escalate.
Tempe police are investigating the destruction of a religious symbol placed on "A" Mountain (also known as Hayden Butte) for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Officers say a Muslim student group from Arizona State University working with a local Islamic center put a 15-foot tall crescent moon on the mountain to "shine a light" on the community of Phoenix. A similar temporary landmark was built back in 2003, but was not attempted again for 20 years.
When electrified at night, the sign could be seen for many miles across the Tempe/Phoenix desert.
Some residents initially complained on social media about the placement of the landmark on public land looming over the city, and described the large LED display as essentially "unavoidable".
Per investigators, the display was knocked over and vandalized on March 17, causing $20,000 in damage. There is no description of any suspects. Tempe city officials say "there is no place in our community for this kind of hate."
"People of all faiths are welcome in Tempe and they have the right to feel safe and be safe," read a portion of their statement.
As noted, religiously motivated vandalism against Islamic centers and landmarks is rare in the US. There were less than a dozen incidents across the country in the the past year, compared to 415 hostile incidents against Christian churches. There have been 1384 attacks on churches since 2018. In Europe where Islamic immigration has overtaken most countries, vandalism and destruction of Christian churches occurs thousands of times per year and very few of these events are investigated by authorities.
The Phoenix area is home to around 110,000 Muslims with the population nearly doubling from 60,000 only ten years ago. Surveys show around 58% of all Muslims in the US are first generation immigrants.
The obvious conclusion is that recent geopolitical tensions with Iran have catalyzed a sense of suspicion among Americans when it comes to the Muslim ideology. However, the distaste for Islam was gestating well before the war started.
The political lefts co-option of the Gaza issue has not helped the Islamic cause in the west. Muslim leaders working closely with progressive politicians are seen to be exploiting misplaced liberal sensibilities as a tool for quiet conquest.
The public's distrust is not unfounded. With clear fraud and the theft of public funds taking place among Muslim migrants in states like Wisconsin and California as well as the crippling criminal violence perpetrated by migrants in the EU and UK, there is little love for Islamic groups among native citizens.
It's not surprising that people in Arizona don't want what many see as a symbol of oppressing lighting up their night skyline. Perhaps the best option for Muslims in the US is to keep their religion quietly to themselves and avoid grand displays that could be interpreted as Islam "planting its flag" in America.