ORANGE — A mosque in Orange received a threatening letter recently, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations is asking for police to increase patrols in the area.
The letter, which has been sent to mosques nationwide, is addressed “To the children of Satan,” and is signed “Americans for a Better Way.” In this case, it was sent to the New Haven Islamic Center, which is located in Orange, Connecticut, but was previously located in West Haven.
Here is the letter in full:
You Muslims are a vile and filthy people. Your mothers are whores and your fathers are dogs. You are evil. You worship the devil. But your day of reckoning has arrived.
There’s a new sheriff in town — President Donald Trump. He’s going to cleanse America and make it shine again. And, he’s going to start with you Muslims. He’s going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews. You Muslims would be wise to pack your bags and get out of Dodge.
This is a great time for Patriotic Americans. Long live President Trump and God bless the USA.
“These kinds of letters have been going around a lot lately,” said Reem Nahlawi, of CAIR.
Now, police are stepping up to protect those who may be afraid.
"We're taking precautions to spend a little extra time in that area," said Sgt. David Tammaro, spokesman for West Haven police.
The letter was postmarked from Santa Clarita, California.
“This act of hate campaign targeting a Connecticut house of worship must be investigated by state and federal law enforcement authorities, and our state’s leaders should speak out against the growing anti-Muslim bigotry that inevitably leads to such incidents,” said CAIR-CT Executive Director Mongi Dhaouadi.
According to the national office of CAIR, there has been a spike in incidents targeting American Muslims and other minorities since the November 8 election.
CAIR said in a press release that, "More than 100 anti-Muslim incidents have occurred across the country according to CAIR and more than 700 incidents targeting different minority groups have been documented by the Southern Poverty Law Center."
CAIR has created a safety guide for mosques and community safety, which you can find here. They also have a tool to report incidents here, or you can call 202-742-6420.
Here is a description of CAIR from the organization: " CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding."
