(CANTON, MI, 10/13/2023)- 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 applauded the swift arrest of a Michigan resident who was allegedly making credible threats against Palestinians in Dearborn and calls on prosecutors to charge Farmington Hills resident with a hate crime under Michigan’s current Ethnic Intimidation Law.
CAIR-MI also called on prosecutors to further charge the suspect under Michigan’s Ethnic Intimidation Law which makes it a crime to threaten to assault someone in an effort to intimidate or harass them based on their national origin or religion. According to police reports, the suspect posted on social media that he was looking to “hunt Palestinians in Dearborn,” making his actions falls squarely within the felony provision of the Ethnic Intimidation law.
In the afternoon on Thursday October 12, Dearborn Police became aware of what appears to be credible threats against Palestinian Americans in Dearborn allegedly made by a Farmington Hills man on Twitter. The Dearborn Police acted swiftly in conjunction with the Farmington Hills Police Department to arrest the suspect in his home.
SEE: Dearborn police arrest man they say threatened Palestinians on social media
According to the Dearborn Police, the 41-year-old Farmington Hills man was arrested on probable cause of using a computer or electronic device to commit a crime.
“We applaud the quick work of the Dearborn Police Department in assessing the social media threat resulting in a swift arrest of an individual allegedly making threats to Palestinian Americans,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. “Hate has no home in Michigan, and violence based on hate has no place in civil society. We urge prosecutors to charge the suspect with Michigan’s Ethnic Intimidation Law to send a strong message that all Michiganders are safe from harm regardless of their national origin or religion and regardless of global politics.”
“Michigan’s Ethnic Intimidation Law makes it a specific crime to harm or threaten harm to someone for the purpose of intimidating or harassing them based on their national origin or religion.” Said CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure. “Charging this suspect with a hate crime will send a strong message that you cannot utilize social media to threaten and intimidate whole communities based on bigotry and hate and that any person who calls for violence against a community based on their own hate will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. CAIR-Ohio’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. CAIR-Ohio has offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.
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, dwalid@cair.com; CAIR-MI Staff Attorney, Amy V. Doukoure, (586) 943-8823, adoukoure@cair.com