Head of pig thrown at Philadelphia mosque

A mosque in US state of Philadelphia has been vandalized, marking yet another hate attack against American Muslims in the aftermath of last week’s California mass shooting.

Marwan Kreidie, executive director of the Arab American Development Corp., which is in charge of the al-Aqsa Islamic Society building in Kensington neighborhood, North Philadelphia, said the incident took place about 11 pm Sunday, and was caught on the building's security camera.

According to the surveillance footage, a red truck drove past the al-Aqsa mosque and one of its passengers threw an object out of the window.

The object turned out to be a severed pig’s head, after a caretaker discovered it early Monday.

"They are investigating it as a hate crime, which it is,” said Kreidie.

He noted that the individual behind insult knew that in Muslim culture pork is considered haram (forbidden or proscribed by Islamic law) and therefore is not part of a Muslim individual's diet.

"Let's hope this doesn't escalate," he said. "It could be a bomb next time."

Philadelphia Mayor-elect Jim Kenney also reacted to the insult, denouncing it as an act of bigotry.

"We cannot allow hate to divide us now, in the face of unprecedented difficulties," he said in a statement. "I ask all Philadelphians to join me in rejecting this despicable act and supporting our Muslim neighbors."

The attack happened amid growing fears of a surge in Islamophobia a week after Tashfeen Malik, 29, and her husband Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, stormed a holiday party in San Bernardino, California on Wednesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring 21 in the deadliest mass shooting in the US in three years.

Only hours after news broke that suspects had Muslim names, American Muslims strongly condemned the incident, but this did not stop the US mainstream media from spewing hate and venom against Muslims and Islam.

American political analysts such as James Morris, editor of America-hijacked.com, blame the media for recent escalation of Islamophobia in the US.

“I attribute this to the Zionist media in America which won’t talk about the motivation for what happened with the tragic attack on 9/11 and other acts of terrorism against America,” he told Press TV on Monday.

Since last month’s coordinated attacks in Paris that killed about 130 people, there has been a series of anti-Muslim incidents reported in the US, including terror threats to Florida mosques, vandalism at a Nebraska mosque, shots fired at a Florida Muslim family’s home, hate graffiti targeting a Connecticut Muslim student, a tweet threatening Michigan Muslims, and innumerable hate messages sent online and by phone.

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