Muslims in the US state of
Iowa have called for a hate crime investigation into a threatening note a
mosque has recently received.
The hand-written note
delivered to the Islamic Center of Des Moines, Iowa, on Sunday warned
that Republican President Donald Trump will do to Muslims “what Hitler
did to the Jews,” reports said on Monday.
The letter, which was signed by "Americans for a Better Way," described Muslims as “filthy” and “vile.”
“There’s
a new sheriff in town—President Donald Trump. He’s going to cleanse
America and make it shine again,” read the note. “And he’s going to
start with you Muslims, He’s going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did
to the Jews. You Muslims would be wise to pack your bags and get out of
dodge.”
Dr. Samir Shams, the president of the Islamic Center of
Des Moines, said Muslims must take such notes seriously, and FBI agents
met with members of the mosque and were assessing the situation.
Council
on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Executive Director Nihad Awad (2nd
L) speaks alongside CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim
Hooper (L), attorney Gadeir Abbas (2nd R) and CAIR Litigation Director
Lena Masri (R), about a lawsuit the organization filed against US
President Donald Trump and his administration, during a press conference
at CAIR Headquarters in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2017. (Photo by
AFP)Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called for a hate crime investigation into the incident.
“Some
people are afraid to send their kids to school, some of my friends take
their hijabs off, some of our friends stop going to the mosque,” said
Esam Boraey, a CAIR spokesperson.
Jamal Muhammad, a mosque board
member, said it was important for elected government officials to speak
against such hate incidents.
“In this climate, we have to take these things seriously because it could escalate,” he told the Des Moines Register.
“Politicians
should make statements about this kind of stuff. It would be good to
see elected officials—whether they're Democrat or Republican or
what—they should condemn things like this,” Muhammad stated.
In a
press release, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said that
similar hate-filled messages had also been sent to other mosques.
A
participant at a rally in Helsinki, Finland, holds up a poster
depicting US President Donald Trump and German dictator Adolf Hitler on
January 21, 2017. (Photo by AFP)Figures show that hate crimes have spiked across the US since the victory of Trump in last year’s presidential election.
Trump
has been under fire by Muslim and human rights groups as well as his
Democratic rivals and many of his Republican proponents since he started
calling for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the
United States" during his presidential campaign. Read More:
Following
his inauguration on January 20, Trump has twice issued executive
orders, banning people from several Muslim-majority countries, causing
widespread protests in the US and several world cities.
American courts have blocked Trump’s travel ban but the president has said that he is still trying to find a way to impose it.
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