– US Muslim activists have raised over $55,000 (N17,4m) to rebuild vandalized gravestones at a Jewish cemetery
– Police are still investigating the acts of vandalism and have not made any arrests yet
– Jewish community centers across the US have reportedly received bomb threats
In a gesture that has touched the hearts of many across the US, Muslim activists in Missouri have conducted an online fundraiser to the tune of $55,000 (N17,4m) to rebuild gravestones at a Jewish cemetery that were vandalized over the weekend.
Vandals flipped over more than 150 gravestones
Unidentified vandals flipped over more than 150 gravestones at the Chesed El Emeth in Missouri over the weekend.
This prompted Linda Sarsour and Tarek El-Messidi to launch on online appeal to raise an initial sum of $20,000 (N6,4m). The response was overwhelming and within a few hours, they had surpassed their target.
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Police have not indicated whether they are treating the vandalism as a hate crime or not
The act of vandalism occurred at a time when anonymous bomb threats were distributed to 11 Jewish community centers across the US.
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Cases of anti-semitism have reportedly been on the increase in the US since the election of US President Donald Trump.
Relatives visiting the graves of their loved ones were shocked at the vandalism
When launching the online appeal, Linda and Tarek pledged that Muslim Americans will stand in solidarity with Jewish Americans in the face of hate crimes and discrimination.
They condemned the act as “senseless” and urged their fellow Americans to show unity and tolerance to one another.
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Linda and Tarek urged Americans to show unity and tolerance for one another
Police are still conducting investigations into the incident and have not yet indicated whether or not they are treating it as a hate crime.
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The incident has also drawn outrage across the US, with many calling for communities to be more vigilant and to report people committing acts of intolerance.
Work to reset the gravestones has already begun
Work to reset or replace the gravestones has already begun as more Americans pledge funds in response to the appeal.
For a video report of the incident, see below.
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