A pig's head was found outside a Philadelphia mosque in what is being called a 'hate-motivated' act

Pig
(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

A Philadelphia mosque worker made an unusual discovery when he showed up for work Monday morning: On the doorsteps of the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society was a severed pig's head. A mosque spokesman has condemned the placement of the pig's head — which was captured on surveillance cameras being tossed out the window of a red pickup truck on Sunday night — as a "hate-motivated" act, since pork is considered non-halal by Islamic law.

"It's just a pig's head — that's not a big deal; but it does send a message," mosque spokesman Marwan Kreidie said. "I think people are worried that if they do a pig's head, they could do something more violent in the future."

The Philadelphia Police Department is investigating the incident, though it has yet to say whether it is being investigated as a "possible hate incident or crime," The Washington Post reports. "As of now, it's under investigation with an unknown motive," a police department spokesperson told the Post.

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The FBI is also investigating the incident, which comes amid a flurry of anti-Muslim sentiment following the San Bernardino shooting allegedly carried out by a Muslim couple that left 14 dead and 21 injured. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump also called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" in response to the attack.

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