Press Release from the Montgomery County Muslim Council (MCMC) on Islamophobic, Anti-Palestinian, and Anti-Arab Hate Graffiti at Walt Whitman High School

January 16, 2026 – Montgomery County, MD

The Montgomery County Muslim Council (MCMC) strongly condemns the Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Arab hate graffiti recently discovered at Walt Whitman High School. Acts of hate and intimidation targeting students, families, or any community have no place in our schools or in Montgomery County.

This incident is deeply troubling, particularly because schools must be spaces where all students feel safe, respected, and protected regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or background. Islamophobic, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Arab messaging not only harms Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian students and families, but also undermines the sense of belonging and security that every child deserves in an educational environment.

This act of hate does not occur in a vacuum. At a time when Muslims and people from Muslim-majority countries are increasingly targeted by anti-Islam and xenophobic government policies, rhetoric, and actions carried out with impunity, such incidents are especially dangerous and alarming. Governmental targeting and dehumanization of Muslim communities raises the risk of violence and emboldens hate at the local level, placing our children and families at greater risk.

MCMC calls on Montgomery County Public Schools and local authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, hold those responsible accountable, and take clear steps to prevent future incidents. Equally important is a renewed commitment to proactive education, consistent enforcement of anti-bias policies, and meaningful engagement with impacted communities.

We stand in solidarity with the students, parents, and educators affected by this incident, and we urge county leaders to treat Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, and anti-Arab hate with the same seriousness and urgency as all other forms of hate. Our community deserves nothing less than equal protection, dignity, and respect.

Montgomery County Muslim Council (MCMC)