PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Palestinian family in Pittsfield Township is in shock after their home was vandalized with a biblical verse that they believe was an attack on their religion.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report:
The Tabateh family discovered their home had been vandalized Tuesday morning in the Ashford Village neighborhood with a broken window and the biblical reference "EZK 25:17" spray-painted on the side of their home.
"My neighbor knocked on our door and he was like, 'hey did you guys see that somebody vandalized your guys' house? The side of your guys' house has spray paint on it,'" a family member said.
When they examined the damage, they found a broken window with a small hole in the middle.
"We're thinking it was probably a BB gun or maybe a small rock," the family member said.
The spray-painted message "EZK 2517" references Ezekiel 25:17, a Bible verse about vengeance that was popularized in the movie "Pulp Fiction," where the verse was spoken before violent murders.
"Oh my God, this is a biblical verse," the family member recalled thinking when they realized what the message meant.
A member of the Tabateh family, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, believes their Palestinian and Muslim identity made them targets.
"I took it definitely as a hostile message or like a threat, almost like a warning. It felt like we were being watched. It feels like something else could happen," the family member said.
"Us being Arab, being Muslim, being Palestinian. It was just very specific and that's what really got us."
Pittsfield Township police are investigating the incident and have increased patrols in the area. When asked if they're investigating this as a hate crime, police said they are investigating with the awareness that there could be that component.
Despite recommendations from others to temporarily relocate, the family is determined to stay in their home of 20 years.
"People are telling us to sleep somewhere else, go get a hotel and I'm like we are never leaving, this is our home," the family member said.
Pittsfield Township police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them.
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