VANDALS have spraypainted xenophobic messages and a swastika on a Sikh temple in Griffith for the second time in a month.
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The abusive messages scrawled across the walls of the temple were clearly visible to all drivers on Kidman Way between Griffith and Hanwood.
The president of the Griffith’s Sikh community Peter Singh said it sent a message to Indians that Griffith was only for white people.
“The Sikh community has been here since 1992 and we have never had such atrocious racism directed towards us,” Mr Singh said.
“This is the second time this has happened but this time it is much larger, obviously they want everyone to see it.
“The police assured us if it happened a second time they would be in a position to do something about it but since we reported it they haven’t done anything.”
The temple is currently under construction and was estimated to be finished by March 2014 at a cost of around $3.2 million.
“We are now looking in to constructing a fence around the site to try and keep the vandals out,” Mr Singh said.
“We had only just finished painting over the last racist message that was painted on the walls, so aside from the offence it has caused it is also slowing down construction.
“The temple will significantly contribute to Griffith’s tourism industry once it is finished as long as Griffith isn’t typecast as racist towards Indians based on the recent vandalism.”
The president of the Multicultural Council of Griffith Carmel La Rocca said it was devastating to hear about such spiteful racism just days after the Griffith Multicultural Festival.
“I am so disappointed to hear about what was written on the Sikh temple so soon after the best and most inclusive multicultural festival Griffith has had,” Ms La Rocca said.
“I can only hope the perpetrators stop and think about what they have done and the devastating effect they are having on the Indian community and Griffith’s reputation.”
The graffiti comes as a report by Monash University revealed racial discrimination in Australia increased to the highest level since the survey began in 2007.
According to the report Mapping Social Cohesion, Indians were amongst a handful of other Asian nations who indicated experiencing the highest levels of discrimination.