BOSTON, Massachusetts – A young Muslim girl has been flooded with messages of love and support after receiving threatening notes at her elementary school.
“We’re incredibly heartened by the wider community’s support for this young Muslim student, particularly by the powerful messages from the interfaith community,” said the Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA) Director of Community Advocacy and Education Sumaiya Zama in a statement sent to AboutIslam.
“Despite the climate of animosity and fear that so many Muslims face today, it’s clear that we have allies.”
A 10-year-old Muslim girl from Framingham, Mass., was targeted by Islamophobic and threatening letters two weeks ago.
School officials say she received threatening notes in her classroom storage bin on two occasions this month. One note said, “You are a terrorist.” The other read, “I will kill you.”
As of Thursday, CAIR-MA said it had received more than 500 notes from across the country for the 10-year-old.
The girl’s uncle, Jamaal Siddiqui, said at a news conference after the notes were discovered that the experience frightened his niece.
“She’s scared,” he said at the time. “She has all the right to be scared.
“The council encouraged people to send letters to the girl to “counteract the hateful message.”
Since then, letters have poured in from more than 20 states, including Hawaii, the council said.
A sampling of the notes provided by the council shows handwritten messages with colorful illustrations and cheerful designs.
A note from a 6-year-old named Sophie shows an illustration of two people of different races holding hands and smiling. It reads: “Dear friend, people of all religions should be friends.”
Another message, from Mary B. in Springfield, Massachusetts, is written on multicolored paper with hearts all around it: “You are loved. You belong.”
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