A mosque in San Jose, California, received a threatening letter earlier this week, and police are now investigating who may have sent the letter.
The Evergreen Islamic Center received the letter Wednesday. It said, in part, that Muslims at the center needed to “pack their bags and get out of Dodge.”
Additionally, the hateful screed also made direct reference to President-elect 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 you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews. This is a great time for Patriotic Americans. Long live President Trump and God bless the USA.”
Evergreen Islamic Center Board President Faisal Yazadi said he immediately turned the letter over to law enforcement:
“We wanted to let law enforcement know so that in case there’s an unfortunate event people are prepared. Our doors are never locked. I hope that person knows that we’re more than happy to have a dialogue. Hopefully, we learn a thing or two from him or her, and he or she learns something from us.”
Sgt. Enrique Garcia, a spokesman for the San Jose Police Department, said the incident is being treated as a “hate-motivated incident.”
The letter is just the latest in a string of hate crimes which have swept across the country since Trump was elected president. In San Francisco, police report a 10 percent increase in crimes motivated by racism, sexism, and other prejudices.
Clearly, Trump’s incendiary rhetoric on the campaign trail has emboldened Americans who have deep hatred of anyone who is different in any way whatsoever. The President-elect could help counter this increase in venom and actions by making a major speech denouncing discrimination of any kind. But considering his history, we won’t hold our breaths waiting for Trump to behave like a statesman.
(2). @SanJosePD investigating. Letter:"You worship the devil. But your day of reckoning has arrived". Calls Muslims "vile" & "filthy people" pic.twitter.com/99WGI2giLF
— Damian Trujillo (@newsdamian) November 26, 2016
Here’s a news report on the letter sent to the Evergreen Islamic Center:
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