Social media posts leave PPD, local Islamic Center and WSU students on alert for potential attacks

Threats of domestic terrorism have placed the Pullman Police Department (PPD) and Pullman’s Islamic Center on alert since late November, when social media posts were made disparaging the center.

Through Twitter, PPD asked the Pullman community to begin forwarding all threats of harm toward people or property to the department so it could ensure the safety of the mosque and its members.

“We’re in contact with the Islamic Center and with the FBI,” PPD Cmdr. Chris Tennant said. “There’s been a heightened awareness with the burning of the Planned Parenthood. A lot of folks called in.”

Many WSU students attend service and prayer at this mosque and have been placed on alert as well.

“I went to the mosque that night and saw a lot of police activity,” said Adel Al-Bishari, a mechanical engineering student. “I wasn’t sure what was going on until I got home and saw the messages.”

The social media posts were found on Facebook and arose after the Daily Caller, a conservative website, published a list of 83 mosques in the United States the site claimed had been “radicalized.”

The Daily Caller claimed the mosques have been breeding and converting terrorists, funding terrorist organizations, and developing networks of interconnected organizations across America. None of these claims has been supported.

Cmdr. Tennant said the claims of the article are of no immediate safety concern.

“I have had contact with the leaders of the mosque for several years, and I have always felt them to be great members of the community,” he said.

Regardless, Facebook users across Washington state made threats against various mosques, including the one in Pullman.

Concerned residents forwarded these posts to the PPD, and in turn to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The closest FBI base to Pullman, the Seattle Division, is aware of the threats and the article, which also lists a mosque in Seattle as being “radicalized.”

“We are taking appropriate actions to assess the veracity of the threat and are coordinating with our community, law enforcement and government partners to provide guidance on maintaining a routine but vigilant security posture,” wrote Ayn Dietrich-Williams, the FBI Seattle Division Media Coordinator.

She also confirmed the commitment of local and federal officials and their mission to uphold the civil rights of all members of the public.

In response to the local threats, there was an outpour of religious support for the mosque from local churches and organizations, including St. James Episcopal Church of Pullman.

“Resist, correct and restrain such comments, threats and vicious attacks,” a spokesperson for the church wrote in an online statement. “These are our neighbors.”

The message of support extended to church and community members through the hashtag #NotHappeningInMYPullman.

“I cannot imagine a church in Pullman that would want to see harm come to another place of faith,” said the Rev. Mary Beth Rivetti, rector of St. James Episcopal church.

Many in Pullman’s Muslim community claim to have received or seen similar threats before this incident. Rabeka Ali, a sophomore studying biology, witnessed a threat turn to action last year.

“After several threats were made a man came in and started strangling someone while we were praying,” she said.

Shareq Amin, a political science major, saw similar hate in his hometown of Olympia.

“Our mosque had just opened, we were working on it for 5 years, and it was vandalized,” he said. “Even the homes of those nearby were damaged.”

More disparaging was what occurred to him while working at the Wal-Mart in Pullman.

“This past week I was accused of being a part of ISIS and blamed for causing 9/11,” he said.

Members of the Muslim Student Association agreed that Islam is a religion of peace. Despite what occurs around the world, their faith remains strong. They shared their upmost respect to the Pullman Police Department for quick and responsible action.

The PPD requested that if threats or a hate crime are witnessed, or information that could prevent such is made known, to contact the department at (509) 334-0802, or 911 in the event of an emergency. These reports will assist in ensuring threats do not escalate.