Over the weekend, burglars ransacked a Muslim family home, they destroyed furniture, shredded a copy of the Holy Quran and left a hateful message on a wall.
The home-owners, husband Shoaib and wife Mukhruh, have decided not to use their last name due to safety concerns. The couple were out of town over the weekend whilst the burglary occurred. They live in an apartment located in Alexandria, Virginia, burglars are suspected to have entered through the rear patio door. The couple were notified of the burglary after a maintenance worker noticed the carnage in the apartment.
A Muslim couple returns from a trip to find their #Fairfax Co home ransacked, the Quran torn, a slur on the wall. The story #NBC4DC@6 pic.twitter.com/fgLu66PWim
— Julie Carey (@JulieCareyNBC) March 28, 2017
The burglar's completely ransacked the apartment, they ripped up a copy of the Quran, desecrated decorative calligraphy which contained religious text, as well as stole green cards and more than $25,000 worth of gold, which the couple had received as wedding gifts. The burglary has been elevated to a hate crime after the words "F*** Muslims" was scratched onto the wall.
Mahrukh told NBC4, "We were in complete shock. It's a dream. We're just going to open our eyes and it's all going to go away," Mahrukh continued. "Especially when we saw that written on the wall and the Quran torn to pieces on the floor, and my painting just torn apart and on the floor, that was just shocking."
CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper said, “What may have begun as a break-in, clearly ended as a possible hate crime, the message of hate left at the scene and the damage done to religious texts indicate the need to investigate a bias-motive for this crime.”
Fairfax County police are currently investigating the burglary, no information on a suspect has been released.