Update: Unacceptable Desecration of the Bobst Prayer Space

Salaam Alaykum,

As many of you are aware, yesterday afternoon, a student entered the Bobst Library prayer spacea sacred space for our Muslim community,onlyto have been met with our sacred space desecrated with urine and obscene, lewd images defacing the walls. This was not simply an act of vandalism; it was a malicious and deeply disrespectful attack driven by anti-Muslim hatred.

The impact of this despicable act was immediate and severe. Countless students reached out, expressing their fear, anxiety, and outrage. Concerns for their safety and well-being are not only justified but a direct consequence of the toxic climate we are allowing to fester within our community. This is not an isolated incidentit is part of a broader, disturbing pattern of Islamophobia that has been escalating across the nation.

For many of our international Muslim students, this act has intensified the sense of fear that already permeates their daily lives. In the context of increasing governmental policies that marginalize and criminalize Muslim communities, these students are already living in a heightened state of vulnerability. This incident only exacerbates that fear, reinforcing the message that they are not welcome or safe. The reality is that Islamophobia is rampant in our society, and the rhetoric displayed yesterday is a reflection of that deep-rooted hatred. It is not just an attack on one group of peopleit is an attack on the values of respect, dignity, and inclusivity that we claim to uphold.

We have a serious problem with Islamophobia and it is now time that we confront it. The hatred that motivated this act of vandalism is not something that will just disappear if we ignore it. Its a systemic issue, a disease that threatens to erode the very fabric of our institutions and society as a whole.

Let this serve as a wake-up call. We will not tolerate this behavior. We will not allow these acts of hatred to define us. The Islamic Center stands in full support of our Muslim students during this difficult time, and we remain committed to addressing this issue with the urgency and seriousness it demands. Our doors are open to anyone in need of support, and we are committed to working together to ensure that this kind of hatred has no place here.

- Faiyaz

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Faiyaz Jaffer, Ed.D.

Associate Chaplain | Global Spiritual Life at NYU

Research Scholar | Islamic Center at NYU

Adjunct Professor |Steinhardt School of Culture, Education & Human Development

AdjunctProfessor | Wagner School of Public Policy