Quran Hate Crime Raises Questions, Gains Local Attention

An incident involving an act of vandalism, in which a copy of the Quran was put into the 2nd floor men's toilet occurred at the Birnbaum Library Sept. 20. The holy document was found by a student and reported immediately. President Caputo emailed the student body later that evening as a first step to address the situation.

Chris Cory, director of public information, said Caputo quickly responded to the situation by initiating an investigation within a matter of hours.

"We are investigating and will continue until we have exhausted every lead. We would appreciate help from anyone who knows anything," Richard Abbinanti, director of security, said in an email to Cory.

In his email, Caputo alerted the community about the issue and condemned the act, calling it "despicable," asking for tolerance and respect throughout the University. Caputo also said the Quran was "water damaged but not defaced in any other way," prompting shock throughout the student body, including the Muslim Students Association (MSA), who demanded a vigorous investigation and rejected the notion that the act only resulted in water damage.

Members of the MSA said Caputo's email was misleading, noting the act was indeed one of defacement and the letter "added insult to injury (...) and the act must be documented as a hate crime and penalized to the fullest extent."

Though Abbinanti and the University are searching for answers, the MSA stated various complaints at a town hall meeting which took place on Oct. 3 in the Schimmel Lobby. They said the administration intended to identify the culprit of the act by watching the videotapes in the library, based on their possessing a green-colored Quran. The MSA said videotapes are in inadequate, as they only tape in black and white.

Many members of the MSA stressed the importance of the act being recognized and documented as a hate crime. They said security did not file the incident with the New York Police Department (NYPD) as an act of vandalism, although security said it was filed the week the act occurred. As what seems like a result, on Oct. 4, a letter was sent out by Caputo stating that the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force was actively taking charge of the investigation, and that the act was reclassified as a hate crime.

Reggie Thomas, president of the student government association, reminded the University that cultural sensitivity is of utmost importance and that the administration must further work toward promoting tolerance and diversity. He also stated when occurrences such as this take place, third parties, such as the NYPD, must be notified.

Members of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) also condemned all acts of hatred. A statement on the group's behalf said, "We are at a time when anti-Muslim activity is rampant. This act needs extra attention." Many students voiced concerns and most demanded the University recognize the act as not just vandalism, but a hate crime.

After students spoke, Caputo addressed the town hall guests and community by saying, "I apologize. We were trying to handle this situation the best we could." He also said he wanted to further efforts to promote tolerance and respect, and to reassure the community that the incident was being taken seriously.

Students have strong feelings in regard to the act. "Our country was predicated on the basis of freedoms of speech and expression. However, there is a distinct line between free expression and blatant offensive actions," MSA member Farah Elghazal said. "That distinct line was crossed when the holy Quran was desecrated in a men's restroom. Being a Muslim-American myself, I welcome open dialogue and constructive discussion regarding my faith and can only hope that people are open to learning about Islam."

Administrative members also had strong feelings against the act.

"The process of creating tension between groups compromises the entire academic enterprise. This is a sign that the community has within it people that are not tolerant," Cory said.

Many students, questioning the University's stance toward the situation, voiced their opinions for various news stations including Fox News and ABC.

This act of vandalism is among two other hateful crimes that have occurred since Sept. 20. According to ABC, the second incident included racial slurs and a swastika written on a bathroom wall at One Pace Plaza. Both acts are being investigated under the watch of Abbinanti.

The third act involved racial insults that were written on a student's car at the Westchester campus. This act is being handled by the Westchester security department under Vincent Beatty.