LEWISTON – A pig’s head was thrown through the open door of the Lewiston Auburn Islamic Center on Lisbon Street while nearly 40 Muslim men were praying late Monday night.
Pigs are considered unclean animals by Muslims.
“We cannot eat it. We cannot even sit next to someone who is eating it,” said a man who identified himself as Omar S. Thus, the rolling of the head was considered a deliberate insult.
The incident occurred around 10:15 p.m. just before the men finished their evening prayers, some of the men said. They said they did not see whoever rolled the head.
“We were expecting that if someone came in, it would be one of our own,” Omar S said.
“We were all looking down,” said another man named Abdi.
According to witnesses, the pig’s head was rolled from the door of the center “like a bowling ball” into the crowd of men. No one was hit by the head, which was frozen and slightly larger than a basketball, according to several witnesses.
The men, who were bowed down as part of the prayer ritual, immediately got up and ran outside. “Some ran out the back, where there’s another door,” said Omar S. The men were unable to find anyone outside, however.
The men called police, who arrived about 10 minutes after the incident. The police were also unable to find the person responsible.
“If 40 people couldn’t do anything, then three more couldn’t do anything,” said Omar S.
A witness named Hassan said, “Two of (the police) just laughed. When they saw the head, they laughed.”
According to witnesses, the police bagged the severed head as evidence and took it to the Lewiston police station.
Lt. Mark Watson of the Lewiston Police Department confirmed that the head had been brought to the Lewiston Police Station, but he said it was disposed of just before 11 p.m.
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