WASHINGTON, DC — Today, news reports revealed Rep. André Carson was singled-out as a Muslim and targeted by a man who came to Washington, DC last week with an arsenal of weapons. Court documents unveiled on Tuesday show that police discovered in the man’s vehicle an arsenal of molotov cocktails containing a “napalm-like” substance, multiple guns, a crossbow and a handwritten note that specifically singled out Rep. Carson as a Muslim. Despite the clear and alarming danger, Rep. Carson has said he only learned about the note through the media and was not informed by law enforcement. The following is a statement from Muslim Advocates Executive Director Farhana Khera:

“This horrifying planned attack on Rep. Carson is the culmination of years of anti-Muslim policies and rhetoric from President Trump and his supporters. After years of hateful rhetoric and wild conspiracies about Muslims coming from public officials at the highest levels of government, it is not surprising that someone would actually try to attack a Muslim member of Congress. 

As a U.S. attorney said, ‘the handwritten messages in the defendant’s pickup truck raise grave concerns about his intentions, and suggest that these weapons were intended to be used in an effort to violently attack our elected representatives.’ Yet, Rep. Carson found out about this planned attack on his life through the media. This is entirely unacceptable. The safety of a member of Congress was at stake, likely because he is Muslim. This was a very real threat to his life and it must be treated seriously. 

Today we stand with Congressman Carson. If there is any information that points to threats targeting Carson, the other Muslim members of Congress or anyone else, law enforcement must let them know immediately and provide protection necessary to preserve their security. Further, law enforcement must be more transparent with the public about last week’s attacks and their failures to deal with them. Something very dangerous is happening across the nation and we deserve to know what that is—particularly as reports indicate more attacks are being planned in the coming days.”

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Muslim Advocates is a national civil rights organization working in the courts, in the halls of power and in communities to halt bigotry in its tracks. We ensure that American Muslims have a seat at the table with expert representation so that all Americans may live free from hate and discrimination.