Police Step Up Patrol after Michigan Mosque Threatened With Arson
Police confirmed they have identified a person of interest but said no arrests have been made.
According to Sgt. Ahmad Mazloum of Dearborn Heights police, the suspect allegedly called the Islamic Institute of America several times in recent days, leaving threatening messages. In one of the calls, Mazloum said, the caller threatened to “burn it down,” Detroit Free Press reported on Tuesday.
The mosque is led by Imam Sayed Hassan Al-Qazwini, a prominent cleric who previously headed the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn. Al-Qazwini, who has long been active in interfaith outreach in Michigan, confirmed his mosque was the target of the threats. The Islamic Institute of America is also constructing a new building in Dearborn Heights.
Police said the caller at times appeared confused about whether the mosque was located in Dearborn or Dearborn Heights, neighboring cities that both have large Arab American populations.
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Mazloum said officers are working with federal partners to investigate the threats. “Because of the nature of what’s going on, we have to take all threats seriously,” he said, adding that police have increased patrols around local mosques and other religious sites.
Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi said in a statement that the city has “zero tolerance toward any type of threat in our community, whether directed toward a house of worship, a business, a resident or visitor.”
The threats come amid other recent incidents involving religious sites in Michigan. On Sept. 28, a church in Grand Blanc Township was attacked, prompting police in Dearborn to increase patrols near houses of worship.
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And in a separate case, a Virginia man was recently jailed on charges after allegedly making threats to target a Dearborn mosque with an assault rifle, local media reported.
Source: Agencies
