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IslamOnline Receives Terrorist Threat
By Neveen A. Salem
WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (IslamOnline) - In yet another attack on American Muslims, IslamOnline, a mainstream Muslim media and news organization based in Washington D.C., received a threat of a terrorist nature on Tuesday September 11.
In light of the tragic events that have befallen our nation in recent days, the staff of IslamOnline had chosen to continue their work from locations other than their offices due to fears for the safety of their employees.
Law enforcement officials escorted the staff to their offices late Thursday morning and entered with them in order to ensure the premises were safe.
Upon checking the voice mail, the staff was forced to endure the bone-chilling message left on their main phone line by a hostile male voice.
The text is as follows:
"Get out of our country Muslims. Christians and Jews are going to get you and your terrorist acts [backs]. You will not hurt us. We will get you and you will be driven from the United States. Go home and worship your devil."
Upon receiving the message, the Fairfax County Police Department was notified and the attending officer, after listening to the message, declared that it was to be reported as a threat of a "terroristic and threatening nature" and is being looked into in order to classify it as an actual "hate-crime."
Officer Ted Dragan stated that since the caller directly threatened Muslims because of their faith, it could be reported as a terrorist threat.
In addition, IslamOnline has received numerous electronic threats on its online guestbook, forcing the closure of the service. The police department has relayed to IslamOnline that such electronic messages, according to Virginia state codes, can be classified as a felony.
Calling to memory the array of hate crimes aimed against American Muslims and Arab Americans after Timothy McVeigh sent the country into turmoil with his terrorist attack on Oklahoma City, Arab and Muslim Americans have been subjected to even greater and more violent acts of aggression after the attacks on New York and Washington.
After the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, American Muslims and Arab Americans have been subjected to violent hate crimes around the nation. Reports of violent hate crimes against Arab and Muslim Americans have flooded newswires and broadcasts, including incidences of stabbings, beatings, drive by shootings, mosque burnings and vandalizations.
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