FBI looking into vandalism at Islamic School of RI

By: Melissa Randall
mrandall@abc6.com
@MRandallABC6

Shock and outrage after someone vandalized the Islamic School of Rhode Island. The offensive graffiti is now catching the attention of the FBI. The principal says security cameras were working and captured an image of the suspect on camera.

On Saturday a single man spray painted racial slurs in bright orange across the doors and windows of the West Warwick building. The school is for kids in grades kindergarten through eight.

“Having these bad words and these sentences and being so clear as to say that ‘now this is a hate crime’– it was really a great shock to me,” said Abdelnasseur Hussein, principal at ISRI.

“Our community is already grieving and so to find out something like this has happened it just hits even more close to home because you realize these sentiments are around you,” said Hania Ansari, who previously volunteered at ISRI.

A community member who came to pray at the school on Sunday following the weekend storm made the startling discovery. It came just one day after holding a vigil for 3 Muslim students killed in North Carolina.

Many local religious groups, as well as politicians, are condemning the vandalism. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALLFBI or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. 

A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 11 am in the school gym. An interfaith presence will be in attendance from the Christian and Jewish communities as well as the US Attorney General.

© WLNE-TV 2015