The police at Arizona State University arrested a man who they said was responsible for damaging Islamic books and a copy of the Quran in the campus library. The police are investigating the "cause of the damage" that occurred in the religious studies room at Hayden Library last Wednesday. Before the arrest, the Council on American-Islamic Relations described the incident as a hate crime, and the Muslim Students Association at Arizona State University posted images of burned and torn pages written in Arabic, as well as damage to the wall.
The council stated that the room "is used by Muslim students to gather for prayer, and it is a well-known place for students to feel peace and reflect on campus." On Thursday, officers arrested a 38-year-old homeless man after a witness saw him tearing multiple magazines and books. The police said he was responsible for the prior damage to the Islamic materials, as identified by surveillance camera footage. Authorities have determined that the suspect has outstanding warrants, facing felony and misdemeanor charges. He was arrested on the basis of the warrants and drug charges, as it was reported that he was in possession of drugs, according to court records.
Michael Thompson, police chief of Arizona State University, stated, "There is no place or tolerance for this type of harmful behavior at Arizona State University." Sasha Deen, director of education for the Muslim Students Association at Arizona State University, expressed that group members felt relieved by the response of officials and campus police. She noted that the police took the incident seriously, acted quickly in the arrest, and pledged to handle the damaged copy of the Quran – which is considered evidence – with respect. Deen mentioned that discussions about the safety of Muslims on campus would continue.
"I cannot prevent hate crimes from occurring or any type of backlash, but knowing that the administration and Arizona State University police will do what is necessary for my justice makes me feel secure," she stated. With the suspect identified, Deen said it is still unclear if the incident should be classified as a hate crime, but she hopes the association can "move forward with solidarity and tolerance," emphasizing that Islam promotes tolerance and seeks to de-escalate tensions. Adam Wolfe, a spokesperson for Arizona State Police, stated that Arizona law does not have a hate crime classification in investigations, but authorities can consider motives as an aggravating factor for sentencing. Wolfe said in an email, "At this stage, we still do not know the motives behind this incident."
