RNA - Members of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg are just like you. They go to work, send their kids to school and want to live in safe communities. However, their safety has been threatened with the delivery of a hate-filled letter to the mosque.
Steelton's Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg has become one of a growing number of mosques around the country that have received letter from a group calling themselves "Americans for a Better Way." Photocopies of the handwritten letter have been sent to mosques in California, Ohio, Michigan, Rhode Island, Indiana, Colorado and Georgia.
The letter called Muslims "vile and filthy people." It said that President-elect Donald Trump was "going to do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews."
A Thursday afternoon press conference sought to address concerns about the letter from the Muslim community.
Dr. Atiziz Mansoor said the letter has provided the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg the opportunity to inform people that Muslims are like everyone else. They can be your doctor, teacher, neighbor or friend.
"We're willing to answer questions and engage in discussions," Mansoor said. "Those aren't the hard things. The hard things are when we're just firing shots at each other from a distance without actually engaging."
Steelton Police Chief Anthony Minium said he have asked the U.S. Postal Service to investigate the issue since the letter had come through the mail.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, based in Washington, D.C., has asked the FBI to investigate the letters.
The FBI has said that while the letter contains awful, intimidating and harassing language, it does not pose a threat specific enough to investigate at this point. The FBI, however, are monitoring the situation and urged anyone to report such incidents.
Asgar Rizwan, the incoming society president, said that while letter had a local, fictional mailing address, it was sent from California. That is similar to the other letters that have been sent around the country.
"I know it's not a direct threat to this mosque, but, still, is a threat to all Muslims," Rizwan said.
There have been a number of incidents of harassment and intimidation towards members of the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg. Muslim women have been harassed while shopping, a man had a knife held to his throat and told "We're watching you" and the society have received threatening calls and emails that armed group would come to their mosque.
Based on those threats, Minium said he has had increased patrols and stationed undercover officers at the mosque during Friday night services since September 2015.
When asked what people in the community can do to support the Muslim community, Samia Malik, an elder in the Muslim community, said "get to know us."
"Smile. Just smile at me when I'm at the grocery store," Malik said. "I almost feel like they think there's 'TERRORIST' written on my head when I walk into the grocery store. Really."
Islamic Society of Harrisburg receives hate mail
Rep. Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, organized the press conference and said a lot of ignorant and hateful dialog has infiltrated the United States. The community needs to come together and embrace the Muslim community and their faith.
"We need to be more thoughtful and ask questions about why they believe in what they do and why they feel the way they do," Kim said. "Today will be the beginning of a conversation."
Steelton Borough Manager Doug Brown said the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg has been a contributing member of the community for more than 20 years. They have helped people with food pantries and sought to bring the borough together with community events.
"For these reasons, the recent letter sent to the Islamic Society and the hate contained within it, is not only unacceptable to the Borough of Steelton, it lacks understanding, whatsoever, of what the Islamic Society of Greater Harrisburg means to our community," Brown said.
"Let me make this clear, hate will not be tolerated in the Borough of Steelton."
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