Published August 18, 2026 at 2:24 PM EDT

Suffolk County officials are condemning anti-Muslim graffiti found at the construction site of a new mosque in Shirley and asking the public for help identifying who was responsible.

Police said the hateful message appeared at the site on William Floyd Parkway. The Suffolk County Police Department's Hate Crimes Unit is investigating.

Local officials, including Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine, gathered Monday to denounce the graffiti and anti-Muslim rhetoric.

“We're here as Americans who believe in freedom of religion, and we oppose all hate speech, and we oppose all those who oppose legitimate practice of religion,” Romaine said.

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina said the department is taking the incident seriously.

“Everyone has the right to worship without threats or fear, and we take an incident like this seriously,” Catalina said.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477. A cash reward is available for information that leads to an arrest.