SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
According to news reports, an unknown number of people who came into contact with the substance were quarantined inside the building. (Photo: CAIR/Facebook)
Muslim Advocacy Group HQ Evacuated After 'Suspicious Substance' Reported
"We receive threats on almost a daily basis, so it's nothing new for us," says CAIR spokesperson.
Dec 10, 2015
Law enforcement and a hazmat team are on the scene at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) headquarters in Washington, D.C., which has been partially evacuated on Thursday due to a suspicious piece of mail.
CAIR, whose mission is to "enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims," said on social media that its Capitol Hill office was evacuated by police after a powdery "foreign substance" was found in an envelope.
\u201cCAIR Capitol Hill office evacuated by police after "foreign substance" received in mail. https://t.co/fR2laAkQG0\u201d— CAIR National (@CAIR National) 1449772937
According to ABC7, "An unknown number of people who came into contact with the substance were quarantined inside the building."
The Washington Post reports that Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the organization, said "a poof of white powder wafted out of an envelope when a staff member opened it."
The development comes amid escalating xenophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric, as well as increased reports of attacks based on race and religion.
"We receive threats on almost a daily basis, so it's nothing new for us," said Hooper. "But a suspicious substance--that's new."
Follow developments on Twitter:
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Law enforcement and a hazmat team are on the scene at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) headquarters in Washington, D.C., which has been partially evacuated on Thursday due to a suspicious piece of mail.
CAIR, whose mission is to "enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims," said on social media that its Capitol Hill office was evacuated by police after a powdery "foreign substance" was found in an envelope.
\u201cCAIR Capitol Hill office evacuated by police after "foreign substance" received in mail. https://t.co/fR2laAkQG0\u201d— CAIR National (@CAIR National) 1449772937
According to ABC7, "An unknown number of people who came into contact with the substance were quarantined inside the building."
The Washington Post reports that Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the organization, said "a poof of white powder wafted out of an envelope when a staff member opened it."
The development comes amid escalating xenophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric, as well as increased reports of attacks based on race and religion.
"We receive threats on almost a daily basis, so it's nothing new for us," said Hooper. "But a suspicious substance--that's new."
Follow developments on Twitter:
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
Law enforcement and a hazmat team are on the scene at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) headquarters in Washington, D.C., which has been partially evacuated on Thursday due to a suspicious piece of mail.
CAIR, whose mission is to "enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims," said on social media that its Capitol Hill office was evacuated by police after a powdery "foreign substance" was found in an envelope.
\u201cCAIR Capitol Hill office evacuated by police after "foreign substance" received in mail. https://t.co/fR2laAkQG0\u201d— CAIR National (@CAIR National) 1449772937
According to ABC7, "An unknown number of people who came into contact with the substance were quarantined inside the building."
The Washington Post reports that Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the organization, said "a poof of white powder wafted out of an envelope when a staff member opened it."
The development comes amid escalating xenophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric, as well as increased reports of attacks based on race and religion.
"We receive threats on almost a daily basis, so it's nothing new for us," said Hooper. "But a suspicious substance--that's new."
Follow developments on Twitter:
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.