The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today encouraged mosques and other Islamic institutions nationwide to review their security procedures after law enforcement arrested a Tennessee man for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a Nashville mosque.
The suspect, 18-year-old Gunner Joseph Fisher, reportedly planned to carry out a mass shooting inspired by the white supremacist, Islamophobic attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.
SEE: TN teen charged with planning to attack Nashville mosque, FBI says
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We commend law enforcement for disrupting this alleged plot to launch a violent attack on the American Muslim community. Because of this disturbing incident and the recent spike in anti-Muslim hate, we urge mosques and other Muslim institutions around the country to review their security procedures. Basic safety precautions all mosques should take include maintaining internal and external security cameras, practicing an emergency evacuation plan, using keypad-locked entry doors, reporting any threats and suspicious behavior, and either employing armed guards at major events or authorizing trained and trusted members of the community to serve as guards, among other steps that can enhance security.”
CAIR invites community and mosque leaders to use advice offered in its “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet to help keep those facilities safe. Much of the advice in the booklet is applicable to houses of worship of all faiths.
Last month, CAIR’s Washington state chapter called on law enforcement to investigate vandalism at the Islamic Center of Federal Way in Kent, Washington, as a possible hate crime.
Mosques have been targeted in other statesnationwide..
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.
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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