A South Philadelphia mosque was vandalized last week. Its leader says he’s willing to sit down with the culprit.

Someone vandalized the United Muslim Islamic Center in South Philly last week, according to its leaders.

Photos posted on the mosque’s Facebook page Thursday show the windows and doors covered in white lettering, graffiti insulting Muslim men and women’s intelligence. A senior citizen community across the street not associated with the mosque was similarly vandalized with anti-Muslim messages, according to the mosque’s leaders.

The incidents come amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has spurred protests and shows of support locally for Israel and Palestinians. Both Jewish and Muslim communities across the country have reported being targets of possible hate crimes in recent weeks, ranging from doxxing and vandalism to attacks and homicide.

» READ MORE: How Philly-area residents and organizations are reacting to the Israeli-Gaza conflict

“We can’t dismiss this as a mere coincidence,” said Qasim Rashad, president of the UMIC, Monday at a news conference held in front of the mosque to condemn the vandalism.

“The rhetoric and anti-Islamic speech that is in the atmosphere, people are imbibing it and people are acting upon it.”

Rashad said security footage showed only one person was responsible for the vandalism. He said the contents of the writing contained “incoherent thought patterns” that led him to suspect the culprit was “not in the right state of mind.” One scribbled message said “read your Torah,” though Rashad said there was no indication the suspect was of the Jewish faith. Police said they are investigating the vandalism.

» READ MORE: Thousands rally for Israel, denounce Hamas attacks in march through Center City

Rashad was joined by Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, who also attended a rally last week hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, State Rep. Jordan Harris, and Salima Suswell, the executive director of Muslim American civic engagement group Emgage. They denounced anti-Muslim and Islamophobic rhetoric, which Suswell said is reminiscent of the period following the 9/11 attacks.

“Painful inflammatory and irresponsible language is being used against our community opening old wounds and making us feel unsettled and afraid,” she said.

She pointed to the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Chicago-area Muslim boy as evidence of the dangers of Islamophobia.

» READ MORE: Palestine supporters in Philly protest media coverage of Israel-Hamas war

Harris said members of all houses of worship deserve to feel safe and advocated for additional funding for the state’s Nonprofit Security Grant Fund, which would allow vulnerable houses of worship to ramp up safety measures.

The fund was created after the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh and a bill passed out of committee last week allots $5 million more in funding for the program, according to the Penn Capital Star.

With neighbors listening in from across the street, Johnson, Harris, and Suswell promised to stand with the UMIC, which Rashad vowed would continue leaving its doors open to the neighbors who have come to rely on it for food and community over the last 17 years.

What’s more, Rashad opened the mosque’s doors to the culprit.

“We say Islam is a religion of peace, that’s just not a cliché,” he said. “That’s what it is. So we would extend a welcome to this person to talk to them.”