Current:Home > ScamsSurpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Muslim organization's banquet canceled after receiving bomb threats -Edge Finance Strategies
Surpassing Quant Think Tank Center|Muslim organization's banquet canceled after receiving bomb threats
SafeX Pro View
Date:2025-04-09 02:31:03
The Surpassing Quant Think Tank CenterCouncil on American-Islamic Relations' annual banquet has been canceled after "extremists threatened to plant bombs and kill hotel staff due to CAIR's support for Palestinian human rights," the organization announced.
CAIR said the Arlington, Virginia, hotel where it has held its annual banquet every year for over 10 years canceled the event.
The event had been scheduled for Saturday
"We take these threats very seriously and we condemn them and the broader surge in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment and racism," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad, a Palestinian-American, said in a video statement.
The Crystal Gateway Marriott hotel received threats from anonymous callers who said they would "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," according to CAIR.
MORE: Doxxing campaign against pro-Palestinian college students ramps up
CAIR and Marriott met to discuss ongoing threats and concluded that the "volume and specific nature of the threats, combined with the inability to secure additional security from local law enforcement agencies, made it impossible to safely move forward with the events," CAIR said.
Crystal Gateway Marriott said in a statement to ABC News that it strives to maintain "an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected and included."
"While 'welcoming all' is one of our core tenets, the safety and security of our guests and associates is always our top priority," a Crystal Gateway Marriott spokesperson said. "After careful consideration, we have determined that we are unable to move forward with an event planned for this weekend due to significant risks to the safety of event attendees, guests and associates."
"We have long hosted groups of various faiths and backgrounds at our hotel. Acceptance of business does not indicate support or endorsement of any group or individual and we remain committed to our overarching value of welcoming all," the spokesperson added.
The Arlington County Police Department confirmed to ABC News that police responded to the report of a threat at the hotel.
"The Crystal Gateway Marriott reported receiving anonymous phone calls, some referencing threats to bomb, regarding an event scheduled on October 21, 2023," police told ABC News in a statement.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing.
CAIR said the terror threats came after the organization -- the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the country -- updated its original banquet programing to "focus on the work needed to support basic Palestinian human rights."
MORE: Video Tensions rise on Harvard campus over Israel-Gaza conflict
The theme for the evening is a Night for Solidarity with Palestine, according to Awad.
CAIR said it will throw the banquet at an unannounced alternate location at the same time with heightened security.
"We are not going to be silenced or intimidated by bigots or extremists," Awad said. "We will continue to do our work to fight for justice and uplift Palestine."
The deadly Israel-Gaza conflict has heightened tensions in the U.S., with authorities nationwide warning of increased antisemitic and anti-Palestinian activity.
The Department of Homeland Security said it is monitoring events as they unfold in Israel and Gaza, urging faith and community leaders "to be alert, vigilant and prepared."
ABC News' Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report
veryGood! (2119)
Related
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Can you drink too much water? Here's what experts say
- Russia has amassed a shadow fleet to ship its oil around sanctions
- Looking for Amazon alternatives for ethical shopping? Here are some ideas
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- The tax deadline is Tuesday. So far, refunds are 10% smaller than last year
- Senators slam Ticketmaster over bungling of Taylor Swift tickets, question breakup
- Inside Clean Energy: Here Is How Covid Is Affecting Some of the Largest Wind, Solar and Energy Storage Projects
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Why higher winter temperatures are affecting the logging industry
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- How much prison time could Trump face if convicted on Espionage Act charges? Recent cases shed light
- Ecuador’s High Court Affirms Constitutional Protections for the Rights of Nature in a Landmark Decision
- What tracking one Walmart store's prices for years taught us about the economy
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- After Hurricane Harvey, a Heated Debate Over Flood Control Funds in Texas’ Harris County
- A robot was scheduled to argue in court, then came the jail threats
- 3 dead, multiple people hurt in Greyhound bus crash on Illinois interstate highway ramp
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Can bots discriminate? It's a big question as companies use AI for hiring
Ditch Drying Matte Formulas and Get $108 Worth of Estée Lauder 12-Hour Lipsticks for $46
Want a balanced federal budget? It'll cost you.
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Read Emma Heming Willis’ Father’s Day Message for “Greatest Dad” Bruce Willis
X Factor's Tom Mann Honors Late Fiancée One Year After She Died on Their Wedding Day
2 Birmingham firefighters shot, seriously wounded at fire station; suspect at large