(WASHINGTON D.C., 10/11/2021) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed terrorism and hate crime charges for a man who allegedly threatened a church in Shreveport, La., and the dropping of Virginia community college names related to the nation’s history of racism.
Last Tuesday, Shreveport. La., police arrested a man who reportedly made terrorist threats and racist statements in letters he sent to a church. Authorities said five letters were delivered to the church this year. The letters included racist statements and threats to kill Black people. The man arrested Tuesday came under suspicion after a church employee saw a note being left and got the license plate number. The man was released after posting a $100,000 bond.
SEE: Racist threats against Louisiana church result in terrorism and hate crime charges: report
https://www.rawstory.com/david-tefertiller-shreveport/
“Racist threats targeting minority communities must be condemned by all Americans, regardless of faith or background,” said CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “We welcome the charges in this case and urge law enforcement authorities to crack down on the growing racist and white supremacist activities we are witnessing nationwide.”
In Virginia, a number of community colleges are dropping names historically associated with America’s legacy of racism and slavery. One college is dropping from its name John Tyler, a president who backed the Confederacy. Others are dropping the names of those who enslaved people of African descent. In 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, the Virginia state community college board ordered a review of college names and campus building names to address diversity, equity and inclusion.
SEE: Virginia community colleges are dropping President John Tyler and others from their names amid racial reckoning
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/10/10/virginia-community-college-name-change-race/
“We welcome these name changes as a sign that our nation is rejecting systemic racism and white supremacy,” said CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison.
Allison said the American Muslim community and CAIR are standing in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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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, 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