Pig's head thrown into mosque court
Worshippers say previous complaints to police have been ignored, advised to install closed circuit television
Police are investigating an incident in which a pig’s head was thrown Friday into a mosque’s courtyard by the Herbert Samuel promenade in Tel Aviv.
Pig's head thrown into mosque (Photo: Muhammad Ashkar)
One of those praying in the mosque told Ynet that the pig’s head had the words "The prophet Muhammad" written on it, and was was covered in a keffiyeh. It is not yet clear who is behind the incident.
The Islamic Movement in Yaffo which owns the mosque said the incident constitutes a serious insult to Muslim sensitivities. They say that in recent months, rocks and Molotov cocktails have been thrown at the mosque, and that it is routine for windows to be smashed.
They also say that in most cases, worshippers do not bother reporting the attacks to police, as police officers tend to ignore the complaints.
Worshippers have also been told there is not enough of a budget in order to protect the mosque on a regular basis, and were advised to purchase closed circuit television by police.
Previous incidents
The pig is seen by Muslims as an impure animal. In June, tension rose sharply in Arab neighborhoods around the West Bank settlement of Kiriyat Arba, after residents found graffiti on walls which read, “Muhammad pig.”
“All the residents are steaming over this injury to our religion and the prophet, peace be on him,” said one local, describing local feelings at the time of the incident. Locals said they thought that settlers were behind the act, and warned of rising tensions. Palestinian police stopped a number of residents who rioted in the area.
In 2001, far right activist Avigdo Askin was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for placing a pig’s head on the grave of Sheikh al Qassam in the Muslims cemetery in Nesher.
- Avi Cohen contributed to this report
