Minneapolis police investigating threatening calls to mosques

Minneapolis police investigating threatening calls to mosques

Police say a series of threatening and harassing phone calls have been made to area mosques.

Mosques in Minneapolis have been the target of threatening calls and messages, making many in the community concerned for their safety.

According to the Minneapolis Police Department, patrols have been increased at mosques in the city, after a series of threatening and harassing phone calls were made over the weekend.

Calls targeted multiple mosques in the city, including the Dar Al-Qalam Islamic Center, as well as one to a worshipper who received a video of the 2019 New Zealand mosque massacre.

Community leaders said the Dar Al-Qalam Islamic Center alone received more than a dozen phone calls from a St. Cloud phone number where a caller made veiled threats and used anti-Muslim slurs.

Chief of Police Brian O’Hara had strong words for the incident, calling the callers’ actions repulsive.

“The comments that were made in this case this weekend are repulsive, the video that was sent is absolutely disgusting,” O’Hara said. “As we’re standing here (the Dar Al-Qalam Islamic Center) there are children down the hall in school, in a place where they are supposed to be safe and free from this type of fear and harassment.”

Imam Yussuf Abdulle, the executive director of the Islamic Association of North America, said these threats against mosques could be quickly turned into action against worshippers.

“Words have consequences, messages have consequences, we cannot take this lightly,” Abdulle said.

As of Wednesday morning, no arrests had been made. However, multiple departments, including the St. Cloud Police Department and the FBI, are investigating.