Dundalk Muslim Family Fears Worst After Receiving Hate Message
DUNDALK, Md. (WJZ) -- A Dundalk Muslim family is fearing the worst after receiving a hate message on their door, calling them "terrorists," among other things.
Raad Al Qaraghuli tells WJZ's George Solis, to his horror, he found the letter placed on his front door.
It read, according to police: "Terrorist, Leave no one wants you here. Your kind is a disgrace. 9/11 was your fault. Can barely speak English. Stupid" b******". Take that" s*** "off of your head."
"I'm scared, and my family is scared, my child is scared," he said. "I worry about my family and my child."
The Iraqi refugee family recently relocated from war-torn Syria to Maryland, hoping to find a better future.
Instead, they've come to find a letter with the word "terrorist" written on it and claims that Sept. 11 was their fault, alongside a drawing of a Muslim woman holding a bomb.
All of it has led to questions that no parent should have to answer.
"'What do I do if somebody kills me?'" Al Qaraghuli said.
Baltimore County police tell WJZ their investigation revealed the letter is the result of a fight between a nearby teenager, a 14-year-old girl who lives in the same apartment building, and the family's 11-year-old daughter.
While troubling, police say no crime was committed. The Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR, disagrees.
"We want to make sure that authorities are doing their due diligence and not just shrugging this off as, 'Oh, it's just a hoax' or 'It's just a joke,' because these kind of incidents are never a joke," said Zainab Chaundry, CAIR.
CAIR tells WJZ the letter is the latest in a string of hate messages directed at American Muslims, mosques and Islamic centers in recent weeks.
CAIR claims there are parts of the story that don't add up--specifically, how the letter ended up being delivered if, at the time, both children were at school.
"There is more to this story than what it appears on the surface," said Chaundry.
Police tell WJZ they followed up with the family after the note was placed to remind them the seriousness of the case.
CAIR has requested that state and federal agencies investigate the case.
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