Issue:

Muslim Advocates Responds to Conviction of Militiamen in Murder Plot Against Muslim Refugees

Washington, DC – The following statement from Madihha Ahussain, special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry for Muslim Advocates, in response to today’s guilty verdict in the case of three militiamen plotting to slaughter Muslims in a Kansas apartment building:

“Today, we are glad to see that justice has been served for the intended victims of these violent militiamen, and for American Muslims across the country who have lived in fear for the past few years.

We are thankful for all those who fought to bring justice in the courts, including the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. We hope now the people of Garden City can rest a bit easier.

Nevertheless, we must not ignore the dangerous plans these men intended to carry out or the greater context in which this occurred. We cannot dismiss the disgusting rhetoric of these militiamen as mere ‘locker room talk’ as the defendants’ counsel argued. The stakes are simply too high.

Anti-Muslim rhetoric has led to an unprecedented spike in hate violence and mosque attacks, intense radicalization of white supremacists, and a shocking disregard for the lives of American Muslims.

This must not become the norm for American discourse. We must not be divided by hate, but, rather, stand together as a united nation to defend our ideals, values, and beliefs.”


Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths.