Satanic Temple says part of display in Iowa Capitol 'destroyed beyond repair'
The Satanic Temple of Iowa says a statue depicting the pagan idol Baphomet, part of its controversial display in the Iowa Capitol, had been destroyed.
“This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair,” the group said in a Thursday statement posted on Facebook.
It did not indicate whether the vandal or vandals had been identified. Capitol security could not be reached for comment late Thursday.
The installation, permitted under state rules governing religious displays in the building, has come under debate and criticism of by Iowa and national politicians. Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis on Tuesday joined a chorus of Republicans calling for its removal while others in the GOP said that, though it is offensive, it is a protected form of free speech.
Despite the destruction of the robed figure of Baphomet, holding a ribbon-bedecked pentangle and topped with a gilded ram's head, the Satanic Temple on Facebook that the remainder of the display ― a small altar displaying the temple's seal and the seven tenets of satanism, would remain for now.
"We are proud to continue our holiday display for the next few days that have been allotted," it said, and cautioned visitors to it to "travel together and use the 7 tenets as a reminder for empathy, in the knowledge that justice is being pursued in the correct way, through legal means."
The message concluded, "Happy Holidays! Hail Satan."
Satanic Temple founder calls vandalism 'hate crime'
The Satanic Temple of Iowa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It received permission earlier this month to place the display on the first floor of the Capitol for two weeks. A Christian nativity display was placed in the building Tuesday.
On his social media, Lucien Greaves, the co-founder of The Satanic Temple, a national network based in Salem, Massachusetts, said the vandalism was a “hate crime.”
“They had their own displays, their own protests, they ‘filled the capitol with prayers,’ they did interviews with media outlets who allowed them to put words in our mouths without seeking comment from us and then they vandalized our display anyways,” Greaves wrote. “And they still play the victim.”
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Satanic Temple reports vandalism of its display in Iowa Capitol
