On Friday, July 7th, An employee found a large painting of Jesus outside of The Hillside Islamic Center in North New Hyde Park, New York, the picture was an attempt to insult Muslims, the police are now investigating the incident as a hate crime.
President of the mosque, Abdul Aziz Bhuyian, stated that the surveillance footage caught the suspect ride a bicycle pulling a shopping cart with the painting in it, towards the mosque at 12:22 am. He placed the image outside of the Islamic Center before fleeing the scene, reported by The Island Now.
The Nassau County police were contacted after the image was discovered they are investigating the event as a bias incident
the perpetrator has been described as a man, wearing a dark shirt and white shorts.
What the perpetrator did not know is that Jesus is a prophet in the Islamic faith and is held in high regard by Muslims.The problem was the intention of the perpetrator, Bhuyian stated "I’m sure … he wanted to provoke, had he had good intentions he would have come to us. We’re always here.”
The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NY) urged for a better understanding of the relationship of Jesus and Muslims, “Bias may have motivated this incident, but it could serve as a teaching moment for the perpetrator and for the community if it leads to greater understanding of the love Muslims have for Jesus, peace be upon him."