Racists target Wheaton, Illinois mosque

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Racists set up phony website to defame and libel Muslims in Wheaton. Fake site purports to be website of Wheaton Mosque and is intended to promote hate and Islamophobia

The Islamic Center of Wheaton (ICW) is under cyber-attack by an unknown group. A website bearing the same name of ICW is on the web and it contains lies, fabrications, and slander about Islam; our beloved prophet, and our community.

This site is also making mockery of Christians who are interacting with ICW. An email went out last week to local officials with an ICW signature pointing recipients to the fake website. The email made it to the local Wheaton Police Department, who in turn contacted ICW for notification and clarification. Since then, our entire leadership has been working on a strategy to best respond to this unprecedented threat against our community.

Islamic Center Mosque in Wheaton Illinois under attack. Fake website set up to defame Muslims and exploit tensions created by Wheaton College

A few key takeaways:

ICW and the Wheaton Police Department are working together to ensure the safety of our community. We filed a police report, requested an investigation, and asked for an increase police presence around ICW. In turn, we were asked to be vigilant and immediately report any suspicious activities.
ICW has contacted the FBI requesting a full investigation, the removal of the impersonating website, and persecution of the perpetrators.
ICW has teamed up with Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) who made a Press Release as public statement to the Media. We also notified the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC) and the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO)
We will continue developing the necessary safety and security steps at ICW to ensure normal operation.

We were advised to announce the address of that website www.ICWonline.today to the public to distant ICW from its radical content. However, we strongly advise to not click on links within that website as they may be malicious. It is also important to speak in one voice. Refer any inquiry for comments to ICW management and avoid making any public statement on ICW’s behalf to the media, Facebook, Twitter, or on other social media.

Be vigilant. It is very important to continue with “Business As Usual” and NOT to overreact and scare the community. Insha’Allah, we will keep you informed of any development on this matter, as more information becomes available.

This is happening because we are doing the right thing. These tests will make us much stronger, insha’Allah

Jazakum Allha Khyran

Your brother,
A. Antar

– Islamic Center of Wheaton Press Release –

On Friday, January 9th, 2016 Islamic Center of Wheaton (ICW) board members were informed by law enforcement authorities of an email that has been circulating in our local community that was sent from a fake email address that imitates ICW and is presenting incorrect, false, and frankly, hate filled information about Islam and Muslims and attacking other religions. It also directs the recipients of the email to a full-fledged fabricated website that is made to imitate the official website of ICW and it is also full of hatred and lies. That email has been sent to several local organizations, places of worship, and individuals.

The only website that represents ICW is www.ICWonline.org. The website that impersonate ICW www.ICWonline.today does not represent ICW nor our values. We were advised to announce the address of that website to the public to distant ICW from its radical content. However we advise not to click on links within that website as they may be malicious.

ICW has contacted all relevant law enforcement authorities to investigate this serious crime so that the person(s) behind this could be brought to justice. If you have received such an email or know of anyone who has, please contact us to report to authorities.

We are asking everyone to remain vigilant when they are at home, outside, and also when you are at ICW. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, please notify local police, and if necessary do not hesitate to dial 911 immediately. During this time you will also notice increased police presence around ICW and our community in general.

Members of ICW board met with CAIR who also issued the following Press Release today. Click here to read it.

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RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

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