Denver, CO, November 15, 2019 … Leading organizations in the Denver Jewish community are deeply disturbed that a man reportedly made anti-Islamic statements and threatened four men with a rifle outside Masjid Shuhada, also known as Downtown Denver Islamic Center, at 30th Avenue and Downing Street, in Denver, Colorado. According the Denver Police Department, the armed man fled to a nearby house and was taken into custody without further incident.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the country’s leading anti-hate organization with a mission to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all; JEWISHcolorado, the Colorado’s Jewish community’s central organization securing, stewarding and sharing philanthropic and human resources to support Colorado, Israel and the world; and the Rocky Mountain Rabbinical Council, a multi-denominational agency for dozens of Colorado rabbis from various branches of Judaism, issued the following statement:

The Jewish community stands in solidarity with Masjid Shuhada and is deeply disturbed by the threats and anti-Islamic statements made against worshippers at the Downtown Denver Islamic Center. We are thankful that no one was hurt in this hateful incident.

All people deserve to worship in peace and safety, free from any attempt to intimidate them or prevent them from practicing their faith. No one should be made to feel unsafe or insecure at a place of worship. Anti-Islamic statements and threats do not occur in a vacuum and we must not tolerate the perpetuation of such hateful, vitriolic and dehumanizing actions.

According to the FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics Act (HCSA) report, reported hate crimes in Colorado went up 16% from 106 in 2017 to 123 in 2018.

 

Anti-Defamation League, Mountain States Region

JEWISHcolorado

Rocky Mountain Rabbinical Council

 

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