The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of a North Carolina man accused of possessing materials to create a weapon mass destruction and who reportedly made threats to kill Muslims.
According to police, David Arthur Lawrence, 57, of Cary, North Carolina, was charged after a family member reported he had made devices believed to be bombs and had made the threats to target Muslims.
SEE: Cary man charged with possessing weapon of mass destruction
“We welcome this arrest and urge law enforcement authorities and political leaders in North Carolina and nationwide to recognize that Islamophobia is growing and must be addressed,” saidCAIR Regional Community Engagement Manager Al Rieder. “All too often, we seen hate-filled views targeting minority communities turned into violent actions.”
He noted that earlier this month, CAIR responded to the White House’s release of a National Strategy to Combat Islamophobia by saying it was “too little, too late.”
CAIR emphasized that the dehumanizing anti-Palestinian and anti-Muslim rhetoric used to justify the genocide in Gaza and silence its critics in America has fueled the largest rise in anti-Muslim incidents ever recorded, including the brutal murder of six-year-old Wadea in Chicago.
From January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 incoming bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
SEE: New CAIR Data Shows Anti-Muslim, Anti-Palestinian Hate Remain Elevated in First Half of 2024
Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 8,061 complaints. Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw, 202-716-6242, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com