The Council on American Islamic Relations called on the FBI to investigate a specific threat to firebomb its office on Saturday, reports the St. Cloud Times.
The threat called on CAIR-MN Executive Director Jaylani Hussein to retract a statement he made last month supporting hate crime charges against a White woman charged with assaulting a Black man while using racial slurs.
“Retract this statement, and acknowledge that the work you do is absurd, or you and your offices will be firebombed next Saturday,” the message read, according to CAIR.
“We are neither surprised nor intimidated when anti-Muslim bigots lash out at us with threats of violence,” said Hussein in a statement. “However, every threat must be properly investigated to ensure the safety of our community. We call on local, state and federal law enforcement authorities – including the FBI – to launch an investigation into this threat.”
In September, two people broke into the Islamic Center in St. Cloud to vandalize the house of worship and spray it with blood. Two men were arrested for the incident. It was the second attack on a mosque in Minnesota in a week.
We just want to be clear that wherever you come from, you’re not deter[ing] us to come to the mosque. And it doesn’t represent the good people in the St. Cloud metro area,” St. Cloud Islamic Center President Mohayadin Mohamed said at the time. “We believe that love is going to overcome hate.”
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc.
We are supported through donations and such charitable organizations as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. A big thank you to all our readers who supported our year-end giving campaign. You helped us not only reach our goal, you busted through it. Donations to Asian American Media Inc and AsAmNews are tax-deductible. It’s never too late to give.
Please also follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and X.