City of Tempe, AZ

03/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/18/2026 12:14

Tempe is no place for hatedetail

March 17, 2026

Ramadan is a sacred month in which Muslims strive to perform extra good deeds, including charitable giving. The crescent moon is a key symbol of Ramadan, representing spiritual renewal, prayer, and reflection.

A student group designed and built a 15-foot-tall crescent moon to shine a light on the holiday for the entire community. It stood on A Mountain, just like religious symbols of other faiths have done in the past. It was found completely destroyed today. Tempe Police are actively investigating this crime.

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. Tempe Police are continuing to provide additional patrols near places of worship this holiday season and city leaders will continue to have conversations with faith leaders of all religions to maintain peace and safety throughout Tempe.

City of Tempe, AZ published this content on March 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 18, 2026 at 18:14 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]