ISTANBUL

Authorities in Montgomery County in the US state of Maryland are investigating Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian graffiti discovered on an outside wall of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, which has prompted strong condemnation from school officials and civil rights organizations.

In a letter sent to the school community about the incident, Whitman Principal Gregory Miller said they discovered Friday morning "the words, 'F*** Muslims, Nuke Palestine,' with a star of David symbol graffitied on the school building,” the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

“This profoundly offensive, threatening, anti-Palestinian, and Islamophobic hate speech is completely unacceptable, hurtful, and will not be tolerated at Walt Whitman High School or any school in Montgomery County," added Miller.

The school promptly alerted police and will cooperate with the investigation by reviewing security footage and speaking with students as appropriate, he said.

Police said in a Saturday afternoon statement that surveillance video “shows several suspects running away from the school toward the football field at approximately 2:31 a.m. There is no suspect description available at this time.”

Miller noted that the graffiti has been covered and will be taken down, yet its appearance on Friday caused anger and fear among local Muslim and Palestinian residents.

“Language that calls for the obliteration of a population victimized by over two years of genocide and decades-long oppression is an expression of abject, pathological cruelty,” Maryland director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Zainab Chaudry, said in a statement.

"Promoting hate and violence against any community is never acceptable in our institutions and communities. Muslim students deserve to feel safe, valued and protected," added Chaudry.