The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, and the Muslim Legal Fund of America, the nation’s leading Muslim civil liberties organization, today called on the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) to investigate threatening messages sent to American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) Executive Director Dr. Osama Abu Irshaid.
On Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, at approximately 1:08 p.m., Dr. Abu Irshaid received a threatening text message from a Virginia phone number. The message was also sent to his daughter, who is not a public figure and whose phone number is not publicly available.
The initial message stated: “Osama, we are closely monitoring your activities.” Two minutes later, a second text message followed: “If you threaten Israel, you and your relatives will face grave consequences. COL David Bar David, ISNU”
The message followed a series of prank calls and hostile messages from different numbers that the Palestinian-American leader had received last week.
In a statement, Marium Uddin, Legal Director of the Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA), said:
“Attempts to intimidate Dr. Abu Irshaid, a person who has long been a respected voice for justice and human rights by employing threats invoking a child and referencing foreign intelligence are tactics designed to terrorize. MLFA stands with CAIR to urge the Fairfax County PD to immediately investigate this criminal conduct, to send a clear message that these reprehensible acts will not be tolerated, and to ensure that Dr. Abu Irshaid and his family receive the protection they deserve under the law.”
CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“The fact that these messages were sent to Dr. Abu Irshaid’s child, coupled with explicit references to ‘grave consequences,’ raises significant safety concerns. We have seen time and time again that a climate of extreme Islamophobia and hatred like we see today can end in violence. We call on Fairfax County law enforcement authorities to launch a full and thorough investigation into these disturbing threats to Dr. Abu Irshaid and his family.”
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, 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