“Terrorist” spray-painted on a wall at the Sikh Gurdwara of Riverside, in Jurupa Valley, California. (Source: PEBloggers)

Only days before the one-year anniversary of the shooting attack at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, the Sikh Gurdwara of Riverside, in Jurupa Valley, California, has been vandalized with the word “terrorist” spray-painted twice on its walls:

“This is definitely a hate crime,” [Birpal Kaur, of SALDEF,] said. “It was very purposely targeted toward a minority community.”

A police report was filed with the Riverside County Sheriff. Incidentally, Jurupa Valley, California, is also home to a school district that accommodated the wearing of the kirpan — a Sikh article of faith — by Sikh students in its schools last November.

Read more about the vandalism at the Sikh Gurdwara of Riverside here.

UPDATE: SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) has released an advisory regarding the act of vandalism:

“It is horrible to see an attack of hate on a place of worship as we reflect on the lives lost one year ago during the attack on the Oak Creek Gurdwara. Attacks and vandalism against any of the nation’s houses of worship must be condemned by all Americans. These acts strike the very foundation of religious tolerance, a fundamental freedom this country was built upon,” said SALDEF Executive Director Jasjit Singh. “We call upon local and federal law enforcement agencies to rightfully classify this incident as a hate crime and bring the perpetrators to justice to show that hate and violence are not tolerated in our society.”

Read SALDEF’s full advisory about the incident here.