On April 10, 2024, an individual vandalized and destroyed property at the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic religious holiday.

The destruction of the center occurred against the backdrop of a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, during which over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed and more than 200 abducted, and the Israeli military’s subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip which, as of mid August, has reportedly killed more than 40,000 Palestinians.

Early in the morning an individual broke into the center and caused significant damage to CILRU. Rutgers University Police, who responded to the call, stated they found smashed windows and a television, broken printers, wrecked artwork and plaques with Quranic verses, and a Palestinian flag ripped off the pole in the front lobby. The charity box that belonged to the center was also stolen, but later found near the park. Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway wrote in a statement that the vandalism was “a criminal act of bias and hatred.”

On April 22, the Department of Justice announced they had found evidence against Jacob Beacher, who was not affiliated with Rutgers, and subsequently charged him with a federal hate crime for vandalizing and destroying the center’s property.

Scholars at Risk is concerned with the intentional vandalization and destruction of a university’s religious facility. Such acts erode the right to education, and diminish everyone’s access to a safe, free and open university space. State and de facto authorities should take all reasonable measures to prevent and respond to such incidents, including ensuring campus security and conducting prompt and thorough investigations, as appropriate.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/10/us/rutgers-university-center-for-islamic-life-vandalized-eid-reaj/index.html
https://abc7ny.com/center-for-islamic-life-at-rutgers-university-in-nj-vandalized-during-muslim-holy-period-of-eid-al-fitr/14642141/
https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/chancellor/communications/response-vandalization-center-islamic-life
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/22/new-jersey-rutgers-islamic-center-vandalism-eid-al-fitr-holiday/73419079007/