Humza Yousaf has been targeted by Islamophobic graffiti near his home on the same day as the Scottish Hate Crime Act became law.
The First Minister, who lives with his wife and two children, said that it was “increasingly difficult” to guard his family against racism after discriminatory remarks relating to his Pakistani heritage were found near his Dundee home.
Yousaf said that the graffiti, which has since been removed, shows the need for the new hate crime laws.
He wrote on social media: “I do my best to shield my children from the racism and Islamophobia I face on a regular basis. That becomes increasingly difficult when racist graffiti targeting me appears near our family home.
Racist graffiti was found nearby Humza Yousaf's Dundee home
Humza Yousaf“A reminder of why we must, collectively, take a zero-tolerance approach to hatred.”
Police Scotland is investigating the graffiti and said that “inquiries are ongoing”.
The SNP commented on the incident: “This graffiti was sickening and completely unacceptable. It is a reminder why we need to take a zero-tolerance approach to hatred.
“We are grateful to the authorities for acting to remove it so quickly because this type of vile, racist language can have a serious impact on the individuals, families, and wider community who are forced to see it.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
“Racism has absolutely no place in our society and everyone must play their part to challenge it.”
A resident who saw the defacement described it to The Courier as "absolutely shocking".
Siobhan Brown, who said that people “could be investigated” for misgendering someone online under the new laws, slammed the graffiti.
She said: “This is disgraceful but a sad fact that, in 2024, hatred is still far too prevalent in our society. This is not acceptable and we need to have a zero tolerance approach to it."
The spray painting occurred just as the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, which aims to consolidate existing hate crime laws, came into effect.
JK Rowling urged Scottish police to 'arrest' her in a series of social media posts over the new Hate Crime and Public Order ActGettyProponents of the bill say it stirs up hatred against people based on protected characteristics like age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and trans identity.
However, the law has been criticised as it does not include sex in the list of protected characteristics and there have been concerns about freedom of speech.
The Scottish government has said that it will bring forward a law targeting misogynistic abuse.
JK Rowling has challenged the police to “arrest" her in a string of social media posts criticising the new law. A spokesperson from Scottish police has since said her comments “are not assessed to be criminal”.
Scottish comedian Leo Kearse has hit out at the SNP’s "terrifying" new bill, telling GB News that the policy is akin to what you might expect from the Iranian regime.