Headstones and memorials on several graves have been vandalised at the Al Noor Islamic cemetery in Narellan in south-west Sydney, Australia, causing concern and anger in the Muslim community.
New South Wales (NSW) police began investigating after the damage was discovered on September 30, but no arrests have been made. Police say they are working to identify those responsible and have not yet given a final view on the motive or whether it was an Islamophobic attack.
The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) strongly condemned the incident. “An attack on graves is deeply painful. The dignity of the dead must be protected as well as that of the living. Incidents like this can increase division and tension in society,” said its secretary, Gamel Kheir.
In a statement, the association said the damaged graves include those of parents, grandparents and children, all Muslim Australian citizens whose graves deserve the same dignity and respect as those of any other Australian. Relatives visiting their loved ones’ graves are facing deep distress because of the vandalism, it said.
The association said there had previously been a separate incident at the same cemetery in which pigs’ heads and remains were thrown onto Muslim graves, though it is not yet confirmed whether the earlier incident is linked to the latest vandalism.
Describing the incident as an alarming example of hatred of Muslims, the association said religious hatred must never be taken lightly, called for those responsible to be identified and brought to justice, and said it was working closely with NSW police.
Repairs to the damaged graves are under way, and work is progressing on installing surveillance cameras and stepping up security at the cemetery. The association thanked Multiculturalism Minister Steve Kamper and Multicultural NSW for their help. The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) also condemned the incident and called for a united stand against religious hatred, racism and bigotry.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report