US Muslim Rights Group Moves Virginia Banquet after Receiving Bomb Threat
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, announced on Thursday that it will hold its 29th annual banquet on Saturday at a different location with increased security, instead of the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Virginia, where it has hosted the event for 10 years.
The group said in a statement that the hotel had received anonymous calls threatening to plant bombs, kill staff members, and storm the hotel like the Jan. 6th attack on the US Capitol if CAIR proceeded with its event.
The Arlington police confirmed that they were investigating the threats, which were reported by the hotel on Thursday morning. The FBI was also involved in the investigation. The Marriott hotel chain did not respond to AP's requests for comment.
CAIR also canceled another banquet scheduled for Oct. 28 in Maryland and merged it with Saturday's event. The group said the threats came after it updated its banquet programming to focus on human rights issues for Palestinians. CAIR has launched an online campaign urging Congress to support a ceasefire in Gaza.
"We strongly condemn the extreme and disgusting threats against our organization, the Marriott hotel and its staff," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad, who is Palestinian American, said in a statement. "We will not allow the threats of anti-Palestinian racists and anti-Muslim bigots who seek to dehumanize the Palestinian people and silence American Muslims to stop us from pursuing justice for all."
There has been an increase in anti-Muslim hate in the West since the start of a war between the Israeli regime and the Hamas resistance movement in Gaza.
Source: Agencies
