Arishita Gupta
Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers vandalized on Eid, hate crime investigation ensues
In the early hours of Eid, a celebration that commemorates the end of the month-long celebration of Ramadan, the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers (CILRU) on the College Avenue campus was subject to an act of bias.
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According to a University-wide email from the Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD), the perpetrators, whose descriptions are currently limited, forced their way into the empty building and damaged several valuable items.
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A post from the CILRU with images of the damage explains that items that were vandalized ranged from religious and cultural pieces, such as art pieces with verses from the Quran and a strung Palestinian flag, to equipment and structural elements, such as windows, TVs and printers.
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"This reprehensible act, occurring on our sacred day, is undoubtedly fueled by Islamophobia is clearly a hate crime targeting our Muslim population at Rutgers," the caption on the post read.
U. responds to accusations of suppressing pro-Palestine messaging on campus
Students for Justice in Palestine at Rutgers—New Brunswick (SJP) recently stated that the University erased pro-Palestinian chalk messages on sidewalks during a national walkout and art build facilitated by the chapter as a form of suppression.
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In a statement to The Daily Targum, the University said it rushed the approval of the art build, which happened at Voorhees Mall on the College Avenue campus. This resulted in the University failing to note whether it adhered to a portion of its policy, which states that chalk art cannot be within 2 feet of any area with foliage, according to the statement.
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The University stated it did not notify SJP before the removal of the chalk art but is presently working on ways to prevent similar occurrences in the future.