53-Year-Old Woman Taken into Custody for Spreading Islamophobic Graffiti
In a related incident, Victoria Police are investigating new attacks on two women wearing hijabs in Melbourne.
New South Wales (NSW) Police arrested a 53-year-old woman on Feb. 15 for engaging in an anti-Arab graffiti spree over a period of six months.
The woman, who wrote messages such as “Arabs are all terrorists,” was charged with nine counts of property damage, including defacing the toilets at the Hornsby Westfield Shopping Centre and CommBank Stadium in Parramatta.
She was granted bail at Parramatta Local Court on Feb. 16.
The court was informed that she allegedly committed the offenses between July of last year and this past weekend at both locations.
According to a police statement, the alleged acts were captured on CCTV.
Repeated Incidents and Offensive Graffiti
The woman is accused of using a black marker to write her messages at Westfield Hornsby in July.
On Aug. 17 at the same shopping center, she is said to have written, “Islam is not a religion, it is a satanic cult. Muslims [expletive] off to Palestine.”
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The message continued, “Muslims are terrorists and need to [expletive] off from our country.”
Over the following months, she is said to have returned to the same shopping center to write various anti-Arab and anti-Islamic comments, such as, “Go to Palestine if you want to support the dogs there.”
She also wrote similar messages at CommBank Stadium on Feb. 15 on a public toilet door using a black marker.
Condemnation and Call for Action
The Islamophobia Register Australia expressed outrage over the incidents.
“The language in this graffiti is filled with baseless stereotypes, racial slurs, and provocative statements aimed at creating division, fear, and hatred. Such actions are not only morally despicable but also go against Australian values of inclusivity, respect, and peaceful coexistence,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
Executive Director Nora Amath added, “Hate speech and Islamophobia, like all forms of racism, must be unequivocally denounced at every level. These incidents serve as a wake-up call for all Australians to stand together against racism, prejudice, and intolerance.”
Police Investigate Related Incidents in Melbourne
Meanwhile, in a related incident, Victoria Police is looking into recent attacks in Melbourne on two women wearing hijabs.
Victoria Police reported that a 30-year-old from Lalor and a 26-year-old from Wollert were allegedly assaulted by the same attacker at Epping shopping center on High Street between 1:10 p.m. and 1:20 p.m. on Feb. 13.
Investigators mentioned that both victims were assaulted by a woman who then reportedly left on foot with a man. Police stated that investigations were ongoing, including a consideration of whether these were bias-motivated assaults.
