Islamic Sculpture in Washington Is Vandalized
Artist Mohamed Said Ouafi brought a friend to a grassy area near the White House to show off his sculpture of a crescent and star, the Islamic answer to the nearby national Christmas tree and giant Hanukkah menorah.
But when the Arlington, Va., resident arrived at the site Friday night, he saw the large green crescent in its place, but the accompanying orange star was gone. Ouafi searched the area and found the plywood star lying near a garbage can about 300 feet away, damaged and covered with a red, spray-painted swastika.
“Hopefully, it’s just a kid who doesn’t mean to hurt,” Ouafi said Sunday.
Arab Americans who assembled with Ouafi in front of the defaced sculpture to condemn the vandalism said the incident was especially painful because this marked the first year Islam’s crescent and star joined Christian and Jewish religious symbols on the Ellipse.
The plywood, wood and plaster sculpture was erected Dec. 19 and is scheduled to be removed Jan. 11.
“We know how much Americans respect religion,” said Omar A. Kamhieh of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. “What happened could be an individual who hates to see harmony between the religions.”
Both the committee and the Council on American-Islamic Relations asked President Clinton to criticize the vandalism.
U.S. Park Police are investigating the incident. Ouafi said he will repair and repaint the star.
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