Teacher at a Sydney Islamic school finds garbage tipped on her car days after Christchurch mosque shootings
A school teacher at an Islamic school in Sydney, Australia was left horrified when she discovered after finishing work on Thursday that her car was covered in garbage. A picture of the vehicle outside the school in western Sydney shows bags of rubbish piled on top of the woman's white Audi Q5 luxury SUV and sanitary pads placed on the door handles. Even the wheels of the vehicle were stuffed with garbage.
The horrendous act comes less than a week after the tragic Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand which killed 50 Muslim devotees gathered in two nearby mosques for Friday prayers. The assault left dozens injured. The attacker was identified as Brenton Tarrant, a 28-year-old white supremacist who is currently in police custody.
A source close to the teacher, while speaking to the Daily Mail Australia, said that the act of vandalism left them feeling very disappointed: "Even to go to the disgusting point of pushing used sanitary pads into the door handles of her car." The source remained anonymous. The name of the Islamic school and the affected teacher has not been revealed in an attempt to prevent retaliation.
The source believes that the act was committed by someone living in the neighborhood with "anti-Muslim" feelings. They added that most people in the region are "welcoming" and the actions appear to be limited to a "very small number of people."
"I'm so disappointed to see teachers get discriminated against in an area that I call home on a semi-frequent basis," the source said. "I know this behaviour is not reflective of everyone and I honestly do believe that the people of the area are welcoming and supportive as a whole."
Shortly after the incident, police were alerted about it and a report was made in connection. No charges in the case have yet been laid.
An Australian man identified as Chad Rolf Vinzelberg was arrested earlier this month after posting comments on social media in support of the Christchurch mosque shootings. He was later granted bail on the condition that he remains off the internet.
Vinzelberg, 37, was reportedly charged with one count of aggravated possession of a firearm without a license and four counts of using or possessing a prohibited weapon. Reports state that Vinzelberg hung his head and wept as he faced Elizabeth Magistrates Court.