(This story has been updated with comments from the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and report from a think tank.)
The Simi Valley Police Department is investigating a potential hate crime after anti-Islamic messages were left at the Islamic Society of Simi Valley on April 7.
Police officers responded to 4343 Township Ave. just before 10 p.m. after receiving a report that a hate incident had taken place, according to a police department news release.
Officers found several handwritten messages on business card-sized papers shoved through the front door of the building, said police Sgt. Rick Morton.
Surveillance footage showed a person approaching the location and leaving the material at the door, authorities said.
Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the hate incident and other such incidents in the area.
“The targeting of the Islamic Society of Simi Valley, alongside reports of hate incidents targeting two other local mosques, is deeply alarming and comes at a time when Muslims across the nation are facing an unprecedented wave of hate,” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the council.
The executive director called for heightened safety awareness for those in the community as Islamophobia continues to rise.
The war on Iran has triggered a sharp surge of tens of thousands of anti-Muslim hate posts on social media in a span of a week after the start of the attacks on Iran Feb. 28, according to a March report from a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.
The police department is investigating the incident as a possible hate crime and has requested that anyone with information call 805-583-6950.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: UPDATED: ‘Anti-Islamic messages’ left at Simi mosque sparks probe
Reporting by Staff reports, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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