(WASHINGTON, D.C., 12/01/23) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on American University (AU) officials to take immediate action to protect a Palestinian staff member who was subject to a hateful death threat in late October.
On the evening of October 23, a Palestinian staff member at American University discovered an anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic death threat slipped under the door of his office. The note read: “Go back to where you came from. You might get lucky with a missile, and meet your Allah sooner. Death to all Palestinians.”
The staff member reportedly alerted university officials, after which the AU President released a public letter identifying the staff member as Palestinian and announcing that federal law enforcement would be involved in the investigation that same week.
It was also reportedly agreed that, in exchange for acknowledging his identity as Palestinian in this public statement, the staff member would be provided additional security upon his return to his place of employment.
However, a complaint submitted to CAIR indicates that few attempts have been made by the American University Police Department and federal law enforcement to communicate with the Palestinian staffer regarding the investigation and that the interim measures provided to him by AU are inadequate given the threat to his life.
In a statement, CAIR Research & Advocacy Director Corey Saylor said:
“It’s been over a month after the incident, and law enforcement has failed to identify the suspect responsible for the hateful message sent to this staff member. We call on law enforcement to quickly identify and arrest the man responsible for this racist and Islamophobic threat.
“While American University officials have announced that they are ‘supporting’ the staff member targeted by this threat, the lack of transparency, along with the inadequate measures provided to him, strongly suggest otherwise. We ask American University to commit to protecting their Palestinian, Muslim, and/or Arab staff and students by addressing these concerns.
“No one should fear for their life at their place of employment or study.”
Saylor said this incident comes as Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians across the country report a surge in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate since the escalation of violence in Palestine and Israel last month. Earlier this month, CAIR released new data indicating a 216% surge in complaints, including reported incidents of bias, reported to its offices since the start of the crisis on October 7th.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations encourages those experiencing similar acts of aggression, racism, and Islamophobia to call their local CAIR offices and report these incidents immediately.
SEE ALSO: CAIR’s Report an Incident Form
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, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-999-8292, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]