Man Throws Rotten Pork Meat at Mosque in Hate Crime

The cultural weight of food means that it can be used as a weapon. Not just to kill people, but, more often than not, as a way for bigots to hone in on groups that they feel threatened by. And with the rise of Islamophobia in Europe, that battle is being fought on numerous fronts.

Indian restaurants have been increasingly targeted by vandals across England who associate curry with Islam, despite the fact that curry is one of the most universally loved dishes in Britain.

Then, we saw the rise of the #HalalChallenge in Germany, which saw "animal rights protesters" putting pork products in halal food sections of supermarkets, filming it, and posting the videos online along with the hashtag #HalalChallenge. Meanwhile, in Denmark, certain towns are forcing businesses to serve pork, for fear of losing their predominantly white, Christian identity to the influx of Muslim immigration from the Middle East.

Now, pork is once again being used as a way to express fear and intolerance toward a growing Muslim population in Britain. London police have just released CCTV footage of a hooded man chucking "rotten" pork meat at a mosque at four o'clock in the morning, according to the Press Association.

The incident took place outside of Finsbury Park Mosque in North London in the early hours of May 26 and police have now shared video of the incident with the intention of finding the suspect, whom they describe as "in his late 30s, white, bearded and around 5 foot 9 inches tall."

"We take hate crime extremely seriously as we know how destructive these offences can be, both to individuals and to communities," Detective Inspector Ralph Coates of Islington Community Safety Unit said. "I would urge anyone who recognises this man or has any information that will help the investigation to contact police."

Hopefully someone will recognise and turn in the man whose crime was an incredible lack of respect not only to Muslims, but to the delicious meat that is pork.