Murfreesboro police have opened an investigation into what they call a ‘bias-based’ crime after a Muslim man’s car was vandalized at his apartment complex.
Police said Muhamed Faour found several pieces of bologna and a used condom on his car Monday morning. He said the bologna was soaked in some kind of solution that removed the paint from the car. The damage was estimated at $1,000.
Police believed the crime occurred at some point late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
Faour said he has lived at the Vintage at the Parke Apartments on Veterans Parkway for more than two years and had never experienced any problems. However, he said he recently got married, and believed someone reacted after they saw his wife, who wears a traditional Islamic head scarf.
“To be honest, I felt very shocked,” said Faour. “I was very surprised, and very sad at the same moment.”
The apartment complex is gated and Faour said he believed the vandalism was done by someone who lives at the complex. The complex does not have security cameras.
Faour said he was afraid for his safety and the safety of his wife, who is pregnant. They are now considering moving to a new location.
“I’m not worried about my car, that can be fixed,” said Faour. “I’m worried about my wife. I do feel more scared than before.”
The incident comes one week after the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro was vandalized with green spray paint, and bacon was left outside one of the entrances. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office is investigating that crime.
Faour’s case has been assigned to the Murfreesboro Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been notified.
Anyone with information should contact the CID at 615-893-2717 or Crime Stoppers at 615-893-7867.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, also responded to the incident and called on federal law enforcement authorities to investigate the vandalism of a Tennessee Muslim’s vehicle as a possible hate crime.
