2 February 2026 |
No church-goer should arrive at their church on Sabbath morning to see swastikas and hate speech graffiti on the walls of their church. Unfortunately, this was the reality for congregants of Central Seventh-day Adventist Church on the Saturday morning of February 28.
Officers arrived at the church in San Francisco’s Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood at around 8:45 am. Reports were of swastikas, antisemitic language, and homophobic slurs written in fresh paint on the side of the church. The police estimated around $20,000 worth of damage to the church and city utilities located in the 2800 block of California Street. That same day, Sadat Mousa, 51, was arrested in connection with the crime.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Mousa was booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of felony vandalism with a hate crime enhancement, terrorism for desecrating a cross on private property, and possession of graffiti instruments.
Mousa appears to have a history with law enforcement, including a prison sentence for making threats of violence to family members in a 2010 domestic violence case.
His bond was set at $100,000.”
Some were fearful that the outburst of hate speech might have been in response to heightened tensions regarding the recent Iran strikes. However, The church’s pastor, Mark Ferrell, does not believe it was influenced by the recent attacks by the U.S and Israel.
“Personally, I don’t think it was directed so much at the church,” Ferrell said Saturday night. “There’s a lot of high emotions right now in a lot of people. It’s not just what happened today in Iran.”
The police wrote in a statement:
“This kind of hateful act will never be tolerated in our city,” said SFPD Chief Derrick Lew. “We will do everything in our power to protect our communities and ensure justice is served in this case. I want to thank our officers who acted swiftly to make an arrest in this case.”
No church-goer should arrive at their church on Sabbath morning to see swastikas and hate speech graffiti on the walls of their church. Unfortunately, this was the reality for congregants of Central Seventh-day Adventist Church on the Saturday morning of February 28.
Officers arrived at the church in San Francisco’s Lower Pacific Heights neighborhood at around 8:45 am. Reports were of swastikas, antisemitic language, and homophobic slurs written in fresh paint on the side of the church. The police estimated around $20,000 worth of damage to the church and city utilities located in the 2800 block of California Street. That same day, Sadat Mousa, 51, was arrested in connection with the crime.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle:
“Mousa was booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of felony vandalism with a hate crime enhancement, terrorism for desecrating a cross on private property, and possession of graffiti instruments.
Mousa appears to have a history with law enforcement, including a prison sentence for making threats of violence to family members in a 2010 domestic violence case.
His bond was set at $100,000.”
Some were fearful that the outburst of hate speech might have been in response to heightened tensions regarding the recent Iran strikes. However, The church’s pastor, Mark Ferrell, does not believe it was influenced by the recent attacks by the U.S and Israel.
“Personally, I don’t think it was directed so much at the church,” Ferrell said Saturday night. “There’s a lot of high emotions right now in a lot of people. It’s not just what happened today in Iran.”
The police wrote in a statement:
“This kind of hateful act will never be tolerated in our city,” said SFPD Chief Derrick Lew. “We will do everything in our power to protect our communities and ensure justice is served in this case. I want to thank our officers who acted swiftly to make an arrest in this case.”
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