SMF Condemns Vandalism and Anti-Muslim Graffiti at NYU Prayer Space

Washington, D.C. – April 4, 2025 — The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) strongly condemns the recent act of hate at New York University’s Bobst Library, where a student discovered targeted vandalism and anti-Muslim graffiti in a designated Muslim prayer space.

This incident is not an isolated expression of bigotry—it is part of a growing wave of anti-Muslim sentiment that threatens the safety and dignity of Muslim communities across the country. Acts like this are not just offensive; they are deliberate efforts to intimidate, marginalize, and silence Muslim students and their right to exist and worship freely.

The desecration of a prayer space is an attack on religious freedom and an assault on the values this nation claims to uphold. This act must be treated with the seriousness it warrants. We urge local, state, and federal authorities to immediately open a hate crimes investigation and hold the perpetrator(s) accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

The Shia Muslim Foundation stands in full solidarity with the Islamic Center at NYU and the Muslim student community. No student should be made to feel unsafe for practicing their faith. We support all efforts by NYU and the broader academic community to create an environment where bigotry is not tolerated, and those responsible for hate are met with justice, not silence.

We call on university administrations, elected officials, and civil society to speak out unequivocally against this act and take concrete steps to combat anti-Muslim hate.