The Michigan chapter of Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), a local chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the arrest of Michael Shapiro, a Florida man who is accused of calling in death threats to its Canton, Michigan, office in December.
Earlier this morning Shapiro, was arrested in his home in Florida by federal law enforcement agents and is scheduled to be arraigned in a federal court in Florida on three counts of Transmitting Threats Using an Interstate Commerce Device with a hate crime enhancement, stemming from calls he allegedly made to the offices of CAIR-MI threatening to kill CAIR-MI staffers.
In a series of calls and voicemails, the voice of a man believed to be Shapiro can be heard making Islamophobic and xenophobic statements, including questioning why the staffers were in his country, telling them to “go back to Palestine,” and echoing statements of the Israeli government calling Muslims and Palestinians “animals.”
Following each rant, the individual reportedly made explicit threats that he was going to kill everyone in the office. In total more than six calls and four voicemail threats were made over a two-week period in December 2023.
CAIR-MI promptly reported each threat to the Canton Police Department who took swift action to not only investigate the threats and get federal law enforcement involved, but to step up security for the CAIR-MI offices.
“We applaud the swift action of the Canton Police Department and federal law enforcement in investigating the threats to our office and identifying the person believed to be involved in making those threats. CAIR-MI further welcomes the arrest and criminal charges this morning of the individual believed to be the perpetrator of those hateful and violent calls,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. “Incidents of hate have increased against Muslims in Michigan and all throughout America since the events of October 7, 2023. This incident appears on its face to be driven by not only the genocide in Gaza, but also by the immensely anti-Muslim media coverage that followed it.”
Washington, D.C., based CAIR recently released new civil rights data showing that it has received 3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate.
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-MI Executive Director, Dawud Walid (248) 842-1418, [email protected]; CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure, (586) 943-8823, [email protected]