Muslim civil rights group moving banquet, citing threats

A Muslim civil rights group is moving its annual banquet from its previously planned location in Virginia, citing bomb threats and death threats against the hotel where it planned to hold the event Saturday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) was supposed to hold its 29th annual banquet this weekend at a Marriott Hotel in Arlington. CAIR had used the hotel for more than a decade.

“In recent days, according to the Marriott, anonymous callers have threatened to plant bombs in the hotel’s parking garage, kill specific hotel staff in their homes, and storm the hotel in a repeat of the Jan. 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol if the events moved forward,” CAIR said in a statement.

When CAIR updated the event’s programming to focus on Palestinian human rights, it says the threats followed. CAIR is currently conducting an online campaign to urge members of Congress to support a cease-fire in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas war enters its second week.

“We strongly condemn the extreme and disgusting threats against our organization, the Marriott hotel and its staff,” CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement. “We will not allow the threats of anti-Palestinian racists and anti-Muslim bigots who seek to dehumanize the Palestinian people and silence American Muslims to stop us from pursuing justice for all.”

Israel is expected to conduct a ground invasion into Gaza soon, which has raised concerns amid the already dire conditions faced by those in the territory. 

In an email sent to The Hill, the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) noted recent reports of threats at the hotel where the banquet was to take place.

“At approximately 11:15 a.m. on October 19, police were dispatched to the report of a threat. Upon arrival, the Crystal Gateway Marriott reported receiving anonymous phone calls, some referencing threats to bomb, regarding an event scheduled on October 21, 2023,” the ACPD said. “The incident was documented and the investigation is ongoing.”

In their own emailed statement, the FBI Washington Field Office said it “can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation[.]”

“[H]owever, as the Israel-HAMAS conflict continues, the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions,” the statement continued. “We take all potential threats seriously and work to determine their credibility, share information with our partners, and take investigative action as appropriate. As always, we encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”

—Updated at 2:34 p.m.