A mysterious message written in Arabic on a red and black banner caused alarm in a Texas town after it was spotted on a government building on Monday just after Valentine’s Day.
The mayor of Lubbock Glen Robertson called for local and federal investigations after workers at Citizens Tower, a building currently under construction, spotted the banner, according to NBC affiliate KCBD. The building is set to become Lubbock’s new city hall.
However, there is no apparent cause for panic as the Arabic message on the banner reads, “Love for everyone.” It has since been taken down and it is still unclear who put it up and why.
“It has been brought to my attention that an Arabic flag has been hung from one of the upper floors of the Omni building. I am requesting that the flag be removed immediately, that we get an accurate translation of the flag,” the mayor wrote in the letter obtained by KCBD.
“I am also requesting that we take whatever steps are necessary to secure the building and ensure that this does not happen again. I fully understand that we must gather more facts before we make a knee-jerk reaction but I am concerned on several levels. I believe that we must take this situation seriously in light of current national and international events,” he added.
Although the message is described as “innocuous and well-meaning”, the community is concerned about the messenger’s motives and the banner’s design, which some said resembled flags from terrorist groups.
Mina Wassef, a Middle Eastern student who attends Texas Tech University, told Fox affiliate KJTV that when people see the mystery banner, the “first thing they’re going to think is maybe it’s a terrorist synchronisation or something.”
“The words are good — peace and love for everyone,” Wassef added.
However, another student, Haley Elder, said it should have been written in English. “We’re in America, our primary language is English — so to write it in English,” she told the news station, adding it “would probably be a little bit more helpful to make more people understand.”
A Lebanese tech student Nicolas Nasr concurred, saying, “What the flag means is not the issue, it’s just how the flag looks,” he said. “It kind of resembles what ISIS are doing and the flag of ISIS.”
Elliot Getz, a Lubbock resident, said the message should not be seen as a threat simply because it was written in Arabic. “I see the heart behind it so, maybe, I think it’s trying to push for tolerance,” Getz told KJTV. “Whether you speak whatever language or write like that, it shouldn’t evoke any kind of hate or racism.”
Lubbock Police Captain Scott Hudgens said local authorities have begun an investigation. “Detectives are investigating the circumstances behind it,” he told The Washington Post, adding that the person who put the banner on the building was trespassing on government property and could face criminal charges.”
