Americans Disturbed by Desecration of Cemeteries
Vandals attacked a Jewish cemetery in Northeast Philadelphia over the weekend, just weeks after similar incidents were reported in other burial grounds elsewhere. Police are trying to identify the culprits who toppled around 100 headstones and determine if this was a hate crime.
The incident was discovered at Mt. Carmel Cemetery in the Wissinoming neighborhood on Sunday morning. The tombstones were overturned the previous night, CNN reported. Three Christian cemeteries nearby were spared from the destruction.
Two weeks ago, 33 tombstones were knocked over at Holy Redeemer Catholic Cemetery in Bridesburg neigyhborhood, about two miles from Mt. Carmel. Last week, another Jewish cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri, was vandalized with 150 headstones snapped off the base.
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The cemetery's defacement drew outrage from the communities. The Anti-Defamation League has offered $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the Mt. Carmel incident. A local Fraternal Order of Police lodge is also offering $3,000 reward.
A fundraising effort initiated by Muslim-American activists Linda Sarsour and Tarek El-Messidi for the repair of the St. Louis tombstones raised $130,000 which is more than the $20,000 it targeted. El-Messidi wrote on Facebook that the excess funds will go to the two Philadelphia cemeteries.
The national Ahmadiyya Muslim Community U.S.A. also pitched in to help. "We are deeply troubled by these rising and ongoing attacks on our Jewish sisters and brothers and members from our Philadelphia chapter are in route to assist in clean up," organization president Nasim Rehmatullah said.
The reports on the vandalized cemeteries prompted the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect to tweet President Donald Trump to deliver a speech on how he intends to fight anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other hate crimes, according to CBS News.
