Manya Brachear, Chicago Tribune –
A grave site in the Muslim section of Evergreen Cemetery in Evergreen Park has been defaced for the second time in two weeks.
Evergreen Park Police will review footage from a camera mounted above the grave site when it was tagged two weeks ago with anti-Islamic writing. The grave site, which includes a bench, tombstone and obelisk, was vandalized with almost identical black marker scribblings, according to a statement from the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR’s Chicago chapter, said the vandalism has upset relatives of the deceased.
“Even after he departed the world, bigotry follows him,” Rehab said. “It’s very violating.”
Jessica McDunn, a spokeswoman for Evergreen Cemetery, said the same grave site has been targeted for more than a year. The cemetery’s gates have been closed at sunset, she said, but it’s difficult to control who enters and exits since the grounds must remain open for families to visit.
As soon as groundskeepers discovered the graffiti last week, she said, they notified law enforcement immediately and eventually removed the graffiti. Evergreen Park police mounted a camouflaged camera after the last incident, McDunn said. The cemetery also has cooperated with the FBI, she said.
Rehab said CAIR leaders plan to meet with the widow of the deceased this week to try to determine the vandals’ motive.
