SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — A member of the South Brunswick Board of Education, who was re-elected on Tuesday night, has been targeted by anti-Islamic graffiti on campaign lawn signs.

Six different signs for Azra Baig, a Muslim woman who wears a hijab, were defaced with graffiti, including phrases like "rag head," "ISIS" and "ISIS sympathizer," between Sept. 26 and Oct. 21, just two days after the signs were places, Baig told Patch. Replacement signs that were put up after vandalized signs were given to the police were also vandalized, Baig said, calling the repeated targeting "shocking,"

An investigation into the matter is still ongoing, South Brunswick Police Captain James Ryan told Patch. No arrests have been made, and anyone with information is asked to contact the police department. "These criminal actions do not represent any part of the wonderful community of South Brunswick, NJ and the warmth and kindness of everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting with," Baig said in a statement. "I am grateful to the community for their support of my re-election and I am grateful for the efforts of the South Brunswick Police Department for their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice."

In a phone call to Patch, Baig stressed that this incident was not typical of her fifteen years in the South Brunswick community, and thanked all of her supporters. Said she had only been treated with "respect, warmth and love" and that it was a "great community." Supporters and friends rallied around Baig, commenting a Facebook post of Baig's that they were saddened by the vandalism, and would stand by her.

Hate crimes (also known as bias crimes) hinge on the motivation of the crime: Was it committed with the intent to intimidate someone based on their race, religion, gender or something similar?

South Brunswick is not known for religiously motivated crimes. In 2014, South Brunswick reported just two hate crimes stemming from religion and four related to ethnicity.



If a suspect is identified, an investigation into the motivation of the graffiti would determine if the matter is technically a hate crime under law. Baig told Patch, "I'm confident that the South Brunswick Police Department will catch these criminals, and they have been working hard with their time and resources." She called the SBPD "one of the best in the state."