Muslim centre in Iowa rocked by hate mail

Centre's spokesperson said this is not a rare occurrence

The Islamic Centre of Des Moines found a hand-written note calling Muslims 'vile' and 'filthy' in their mail on Sunday, the KCCI reported.

The hate mail seems to have been from a Donald Trump supporter as the letter claimed that the US president "is going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews" while advising them to "pack your bags" to leave, the local daily added.

Speaking to the news channel, Esam Boraey, the spokesperson for Islamic Centre, said that the centre had received hate mail before.



“That’s our day today,” Boraey said. “The Muslim community today is circled and surrounded, and centered around the fear and our safety.”

The note was found by the  administrator, Hamed Baig. Baig was apprehensive of the content at first. "I was just about to put it in the garbage, and I opened it and started reading, and this is what I've found," he said. "In a way you're worried because you never know who may have that grievance."

Addressing the incident, FBI spokesperson Michele Stevenson said in a statement, "I can confirm that we have met with individuals from the Islamic Center of Des Moines. We are currently assessing the situation."



The centre's president Dr Samir Shams told The Des Moines Register that the Islamic centre was thankful for the "good neighbours" in the community who reached out after the incident, with cards reading: "I heard about the hateful letter you received. Know that you are welcome here." while another left flowers and a sign saying "You Belong"

"I'm sure he's just an ignorant, racist person," Boraey expressed to the KCCI. "He believes in a different America."

Disturbing anti-Islamic note rattles community https://t.co/rHmX7fsxeN pic.twitter.com/WH8f0QkLJs

— KCCI News (@KCCINews) March 19, 2017