Rights Group Applauds Arrest of Man Over Anti-Muslim Threats, Bomb Materials

IQNA – A Muslim civil rights organization has welcomed the arrest of a man in North Carolina who had made threats to kill Muslims and possessed bomb-making materials.

According to search warrants, David Arthur Lawrence, 57, of Cary, was arrested after a family member reported him to authorities. The family member allegedly discovered data-x-items believed to be bomb-making materials in Lawrence's vehicle and reported concerns about his threats toward Muslims.

The warrant detailed that the family member showed police a photograph of data-x-items found in Lawrence's car, including gunpowder, flint, PVC pipes, fuse cords, and pipe-sealing glue. When questioned about the materials, Lawrence allegedly dismissed their concerns, saying it was none of their business.

The family member later brought some of these data-x-items to the Cary Police Department, prompting a response from the Raleigh Police Department Bomb Unit to assess the evidence.

Court documents revealed that Lawrence acknowledged a "concussion grenade" had been removed from his vehicle when questioned about officer safety.

In response to the arrest, The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Regional Community Engagement Manager Al Rieder stated, "We welcome this arrest and urge law enforcement authorities and political leaders in North Carolina and nationwide to recognize that Islamophobia is growing and must be addressed. All too often, we see hate-filled views targeting minority communities turned into violent actions."

Rieder also referenced CAIR's ongoing concerns about rising Islamophobia, noting their criticism of the White House's recent National Strategy to Combat Islamophobia as insufficient.

CAIR's latest civil rights report highlighted a troubling increase in anti-Muslim bias. From January to June 2024, the organization recorded 4,951 bias-related complaints, marking a 69% rise compared to the same period in 2023.

Their annual report, "Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate," documented 8,061 complaints, the highest in CAIR's three-decade history, with nearly half reported in the final quarter of 2023.

Source: Agencies