By Katherine Dailey, Michigan Advance
This story was first published by Michigan Advance, part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Learn more here.
A suspect is reported to have been arrested by local law enforcement after allegedly sending two voicemail messages to the American Islamic Community Center, a mosque in Madison Heights, with threats of death and violence.
Michigan’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations wrote in a statement that they were informed by the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office that an arrest was made and charges would be issued Tuesday.
“We welcome the swift action taken by law enforcement to investigate these alleged death threats against congregants of the Madison Heights mosque,” said CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid. “Nothing justifies making death threats against any faith community in our state or nation.”
The voicemails, first reported on Monday by Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News, were also shared with the Michigan Advance and contained various expletive-ridden threats of violence against the mosque and Muslims in general.
“I’m coming for you. You’re garbage to me. You don’t care about nobody but your f***ing fake God. I am coming for you,” the first voicemail stated. “I am going to kill you. I am going to kill your people. Get the f*** out of my country before it’s too late.”
The second voicemail, received two minutes later, seemed to come from the same individual and contained similar threats.
After the voicemails were first reported, Walid quickly called on local, state and federal law enforcement to launch a hate crimes investigation.
“The Madison Heights Police Department takes hate crimes very seriously and remains committed to supporting and protecting all religious and ethnic groups within our city,” the Madison Heights Police Department wrote in a statement to WDIV4 News. “As such, membership of the Islamic Community Center has been updated on this development.”
Charges are being submitted to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for review, and the investigation is ongoing. The department did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Michigan Advance.
Local officials also condemned the threats. Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter stated in a press release Tuesday that “There is no place for intimidation or threats of violence in Oakland County.”
“Every resident has the right to worship freely and safely,” he continued. “The threatening messages directed at the American Islamic Community Center in Madison Heights are deeply disturbing and must be taken seriously. Words that threaten violence are not protected expressions of disagreement — they are hate crimes that undermine the safety and security of our entire county.”
A spokesperson for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to the Advance that their agency is not investigating the incident and directed comment to the Madison Heights Police Department.