Local community shocked by 'deeply disturbing' act with dead kangaroo in broad daylight
A spokesperson for SA Police confirmed to Yahoo an investigation is underway, but so far no arrests have been made.
A religious community is in shock after a man hiding his identity used a wheelbarrow to dump a dead kangaroo outside a place of worship, in an act that's been described as both "bizarre" and "deeply disturbing".
South Australia's muslim community believe they have been the target of a "form of symbolic aggression or harassment" with "the intent to provoke fear, anger, or unease" after the unsettling moment was captured on CCTV.
The incident took place at Marion Mosque on Thursday, August 22, in Park Holme in Adelaide. Speaking to Yahoo News on Wednesday morning, a spokesperson for South Australian Police confirmed an investigation is underway, but so far no arrests have been made.
Releasing a statement on social media on Tuesday, The Islamic Society of South Australia said they believe the act was a deliberate attempt to evoke fear among worshippers.
"The use of a dead animal and the choice of a place of worship is a deeply disrespectful and an Islamophobic motive," it said. "The deliberate nature of this incident makes it particularly unsettling."
In the footage, a hooded man covering his face is seen crossing multiple lanes of a busy a road in broad daylight with the deceased kangaroo in a wheelbarrow. He then walks along the footpath, looking behind a number of times before brazenly dumping the lifeless animal beside a tree outside of the mosque.
Cars can then be seen driving by, seemingly unaware of what's taken place, before the man flees.
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Locals who spoke to media outside of the mosque theorised the individual may have "seen things online" that prompted him to carry out the "pretty disgusting" act.
It's not the first time the Marion Mosque has allegedly been targeted. Last year, both the Marion and Al Khalil mosques were targeted when gas cylinders were lit outside the premises.
Muslim leaders say the latest incident highlights the broader trend of growing Islamophobia within the Adelaide community. The Islamophobia Register reported a tenfold increase in reports of Islamophobic incidents following the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war last year.
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