Vigil Tonight at the Site of Islamophobic Vandalism

Several incidents of anti-Muslim vandalism have been spotted around the neighborhood recently, and tonight Councilmember Brad Lander will be holding a vigil to gather the community to stand up against the hatred. The vigil is tonight, February 8, at 6pm at the intersection of Beverley and Church, the site of some of the graffiti.

The religiously offensive graffiti has been seen around the site of the vigil--I saw some on a phone booth on Beverley, and a neighbor sent in photos of more on a mailbox nearby on Ocean Parkway. In such a diverse and tolerant community, this comes as something of a shock, and one that Lander says we must not let continue.

“Hate has no place in our community. Kensington is one of Brooklyn’s most diverse and vibrant neighborhoods--with strong Jewish, Christian, and Muslim populations, with long-time and newer residents, including immigrants from Bangladesh and Latin America. We celebrate this community’s vitality and cross-cultural exchange.

“We will respond vigorously to bigotry targeting any group. Recently, Brooklyn has seen multiple anti-Semitic crimes--and the community has responded with appropriate outrage. Now, in the face of this Islamophobic attack on a member of Kensington’s Bangladeshi community, we must unite again."

Lander suggests transforming the space where the vigil will take place into a mini-plaza--which, if this is the space in front of the Walgreens, has been a work in progress for some time--creating a space that would be "created by and for the neighborhood’s diverse communities."