The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned an anti-Muslim voicemail targeting the Islamic Center of Vernon and welcomed the ongoing hate crime investigation by the Vernon Police Department.
According to mosque leaders, the caller left a voicemail containing anti-Islam and ethnic slurs.
CAIR-CT advised mosque leadership to contact the Vernon Police Department to file a hate crime complaint, which they subsequently did.
In a statement, CAIR-CT Chairman Farhan Memon said:
“We welcome this investigation and thank the Vernon Police Department for taking this incident seriously. This was not merely a disagreement about religion or a political statement. It was a targeted act of anti-Muslim hatred directed at a local house of worship and its congregants.
“No house of worship should be subjected to threats, intimidation, or hateful harassment because of the faith of its members. We hope this case sends a clear message that anti-Muslim hate has no place in Connecticut and that those who target religious communities will be held accountable under the law.”
He is calling on Muslim community leaders to utilize CAIR’s “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” bookletto help keep religious facilities safe. The advice in the booklet is applicable to all houses of worship.
Vernon Police Chief Marc Petruzzi stated in an email sent to CAIR-CT:
“The investigation has led to the identification of a potential suspect, of whom attempts are being made to contact. Once the investigation is complete, all applicable evidence will be reviewed to determine what criminal charges, to include varying degrees of Intimidation Based on Bigotry or Bias (‘Hate Crime’ statutes), may be applicable.”
Mohammad Jameel, President of the Islamic Center of Vernon, said:
“Our mosque serves families, children, seniors, and people from many backgrounds who come together to worship and serve the community. Messages like this are disturbing and hurtful, but they will not deter us from practicing our faith or contributing positively to our town.
“Hate and intimidation have no place in our community and will not be tolerated.”
The hate call to the mosque in Vernon follows the terrorist attack against the Islamic Center of San Diego in early June in which three Muslims were killed.
Washington, D.C. based CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
The Center for the Study of Organized Hate showing an approximately 1,450 percent increase in anti-Muslim extremist rhetoric by public officials in the 15 months after February 2025, warning that many such statements satisfy criteria for speech likely to inspire violence.
The Connecticut chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CT) is a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization dedicated to enhancing the understanding of Islam, protecting civil rights, promoting justice, and empowering American Muslims.
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CONTACT: Farhan Memon, Chairman, CAIR-CT 203-517-6526 (cell) or fmemon@cair.com