Crescent moon symbol representing Ramadan destroyed on ‘A’ Mountain in Tempe

PHOENIX – An investigation is underway after a Ramadan display on “A” Mountain in Tempe was destroyed, authorities said.

The 15-foot-tall crescent moon symbol was built by a student group, the city of Tempe said in a statement.

pic.twitter.com/VD5hreHUSa

— City of Tempe, AZ (@Tempegov) March 18, 2026

The Tempe Police Department launched an investigation after the symbol was found destroyed on Tuesday.

“A” Mountain is a hill near Arizona State University. The city said other faiths have put religious displays on the natural feature, which is also known as Hayden Butte or Tempe Butte.

“There is no place in our community for this kind of hate. People of all faiths are welcome in Tempe, and they have the right to feel safe and be safe,” the city said.

Police are continuing with extra patrols near places of worship during Ramadan, a holy month of fasting and spiritual rejuvenation for Muslims around the world.

Muslim group condemns destruction of Ramadan display

The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-AZ) denounced the crime and other acts of hostility toward Muslims.

“We strongly condemn the vandalism of a Ramadan display created by Muslim students and call for a full, transparent investigation into whether this was a hate-driven act. This is not a coincidence. It comes on the heels of HCM2002 advancing and a troubling wave of Islamophobic rhetoric from some of our state leaders, rhetoric that fuels hostility and puts real people at risk,” CAIR-AZ Executive Director Azza Abuseif said in a statement.

HCM stands for House concurrent memorial, a non-binding legislative action that doesn’t change state law but is used to support an action on a federal issue.

HCM2002 is a Republican proposal in the Arizona Legislature that urges Congress to designate CAIR as a terrorist organization. The state House passed it on Feb. 26 in a party-line vote.

Earlier this month, a man was arrested on suspicion of shooting paintballs at a Phoenix mosque. Michael Abel Dominguez, 30, was booked into jail for multiple offenses — including aggravated assault and criminal damage.

Related

Suspect arrested in connection with paintball incident at Phoenix mosqueFor US Muslims, immigration crackdown fears, new war worries and anti-Muslim rhetoric cloud RamadanAnti-Muslim rhetoric rises among Republicans with little pushback from GOP leadershipFlags to be lowered to half-staff to honor late former Tempe Mayor Harry MitchellArizona specialty license plates top 1 million for first timeMan indicted on 17 counts of organized retail theft from Valley home improvement stores