Anti-Muslim Graffiti Scrawled On Queens Bus Shelter

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A Queens bus shelter was found vandalized over the weekend with anti-Muslim graffiti, according to a state lawmaker who was notified of the incident.

Someone wrote the sentence "If you see someone with a turban, chop it off" on a bus shelter by Ditmars Boulevard and Steinway Street in Astoria, according to state Sen. Michael Gianaris, who was notified about the graffiti this weekend.

Steinway Street is a commercial corridor lined with Middle Eastern restaurants and grocery stores; one strip is even referred to as "Little Egypt."

"Hate has no home in New York and we cannot tolerate these incidents in our communities. This should be investigated promptly as a hate crime," Gianaris, who represents Astoria, said in a statement.

"Western Queens is among the most diverse places to live on the planet and this does not reflect who we are or what we aspire to be," he added.

Gianaris' spokesperson said their office contacted the city's transportation department, which oversees bus shelters, to get the graffiti removed.

In a letter to NYPD Commissioner James P. O'Neill, Gianaris asked the police to investigate the vandalism as a hate crime. The department has not yet responded, the senator's spokesperson said Monday afternoon.

Anyone with information on this incident can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.