MADISON HEIGHTS — On Thursday, Oakland County prosecutors charged a homeless man accused of making death threats against leaders and worshipers at the American Islamic Community Center (AICC) in Madison Heights after allegedly leaving two profanity-filled voicemail messages threatening to kill members of the mosque.
According to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, Christopher Andrew Lord, 35, was charged with making a false threat of terrorism and using a computer to commit a hate crime. Lord appeared Thursday morning at the 43rd District Court in Madison Heights, where a judge set his bond at $500,000 cash pending his next court appearance on July 15.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and/or a $20,000 fine on each felony charge. Authorities also said Lord remains under investigation in a separate case involving alleged threats made against a restaurant employee in Troy while he was intoxicated.
The American Islamic Community Center in Madison Heights. – File photo
Details of the incident
Officials at the American Islamic Community Center told The Arab American News that they received two telephone calls containing death threats and anti-Muslim slurs on the afternoon of Sunday, June 28. Madison Heights police arrested the suspect two days later before referring the case to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office for formal review and charges.
The Arab American News was the first media outlet to report the threats targeting the mosque, located at 27205 Dequindre Rd in Madison Heights. The newspaper also published the contents of both voicemail messages on its official Facebook page.
The first message, left at 3:46 p.m. on Sunday, stated:
“You’re f—ing trash. I’m coming for you. All you care about is your fake god… I’m going to kill you. Get out of my country before it’s too late. This is your final warning.”
Two minutes later, the caller left a second voicemail that said:
“I’m coming to kill you. ISIS is finished. I’m going to wipe you out. You have no right to live in my country. You killed my people, and now it’s time for my revenge. Be ready. We’re coming, and we’ll get rid of you one way or another.”
Jaafar Shehab, spokesman for the American Islamic Community Center, said mosque leaders immediately treated the threats seriously by notifying local law enforcement and alerting Muslim families throughout the Madison Heights area to remain vigilant.
“We contacted members of our congregation and informed them about what happened to avoid unnecessary confusion,” Shehab told The Arab American News. “It’s better that they hear about the incident directly from us than from other sources that may not have accurate information.”
Shehab praised the Madison Heights Police Department for its cooperation and quick response to the threats against the Islamic center, which serves the area’s growing Middle Eastern Muslim community. He noted that officers arrested the suspect in less than two days.
He also said the mosque has not experienced any racially or religiously motivated threats since opening its doors more than four years ago, despite facing significant public and governmental opposition during its early development.
Construction of the American Islamic Community Center began in August 2020 after a legal settlement ended years of administrative and neighborhood disputes over the project. Opponents had raised concerns about traffic congestion, noise, pollution, the size of the building, insufficient parking and whether the mosque was compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
The debate also included instances of anti-Muslim sentiment and Islamophobic opposition.
Steve Mustapha Elturk, co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan, joined by other members of the council, speaks at the American Islamic Community Center in Madison Heights regarding the threats that the mosque faced, July 2. – Video grab
Civil rights groups and public officials condemn threats
In addition to the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office, several Muslim and civil rights organizations condemned the incident and called on Michigan officials to strengthen security at houses of worship across the state, particularly Islamic institutions, amid a nationwide rise in Islamophobia.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations–Michigan (CAIR-Michigan), said the caller directed hateful and threatening foul language toward leaders and worshippers at the Madison Heights mosque, stressing that there is no justification for issuing death threats against any religious community.
“We welcome the swift action taken by law enforcement agencies in investigating this incident,” Walid said.
Walid also pointed to CAIR’s latest civil rights report, which documented a record 8,683 complaints of anti-Muslim discrimination nationwide last year, the highest number ever recorded by the organization.
Meanwhile, the Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) called on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan to open an immediate federal investigation, describing the incident as a potential hate crime and a possible violation of federal civil rights laws.
In a statement, the ACRL said the threats “were not political opinions or heated rhetoric but explicit death threats directed at a specific community because of its religious beliefs.”
“No American should fear attending their place of worship, and no parent should have to wonder whether it is safe to bring their child to prayer,” the statement read. “Every person in this country has the constitutional right to practice their religion freely without intimidation, threats or violence.”
The organization also expressed concern over the continued rise in anti-Muslim hate incidents across the United States.
“When a mosque is threatened because its members are Muslim, the harm extends far beyond a single congregation,” the statement read. “It is an attack on the constitutional principles of religious liberty, equal protection under the law and the safety of every community seeking to worship in peace.”
Oakland County Executive David Coulter described the threats as “deeply disturbing” and said authorities must respond decisively.
“There is no place for intimidation or threats of violence in Oakland County,” Coulter said in a statement. “Every resident has the right to practice their faith freely and safely.”
He added that “words threatening violence are not protected expressions of disagreement. They are hate crimes that undermine the safety and security of our entire county.”
Coulter also expressed solidarity with the Muslim community and all communities targeted by hate, while praising law enforcement for its swift response and commitment to holding those responsible accountable.
Muslim leaders hold solidarity press conference
The Imams Council of Michigan and CAIR-Michigan held a joint press conference at the American Islamic Community Center in Madison Heights to express solidarity with the mosque’s leadership and congregation and to address the charges filed against the suspect.
Speakers called for the strongest penalties available under the law for perpetrators of hate crimes, emphasizing that while disagreement with Islam or any other religion is protected under the First Amendment, explicit calls for violence and the threat of killing worshipers constitute criminal conduct that threatens public safety.
Walid warned that hostility toward Islamic centers in Wayne, Macomb and Oakland Counties has intensified in recent years, with mosques facing vandalism and death threats. He urged Michigan officials to take stronger action against hate speech and religiously motivated intimidation.
He also criticized recent comments by U.S. Rep. and Michigan Republican Gubernatorial candidate John James, saying the congressman’s comparison of the peaceful Ashura procession in Dearborn to what he described as the actions of “extremists in Iraq” could inflame anti-Muslim hostility.
“Political rhetoric that uses Muslims as a political football during election season must stop,” Walid said. “Such statements may encourage some individuals to engage in acts of persecution.”
Imam Steve Mustapha Elturk, co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan, thanked Oakland County officials for their swift response to the threats against the Madison Heights mosque.
“Violent threats must be taken with the utmost seriousness, not only because they terrorize a religious community, but because they violate the constitutional principles of religious liberty upon which our nation was founded,” Elturk said.
He added that protecting houses of worship is a shared responsibility to ensure that every person can practice their faith freely and safely, regardless of religious affiliation.
Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi, leader of the Dearborn Heights-based Islamic House of Wisdom and co-chair of the Imams Council of Michigan, noted the irony that the threats came as Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day on July 4.
He said some extremists are violating the very principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence, that “all men and women are created equal”, by continuing to discriminate against Muslim Americans.
Elahi also criticized what he described as political double standards in addressing religious hatred.
“Why is anti-Semitism, rightly, treated as a criminal act in the United States, while Islamophobia is becoming increasingly acceptable and popular?” he asked.
Sayed Najah Al-Alhussaini, imam of the American Islamic Community Center, said Islamophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric continue to rise in the United States alongside rising hostilities in the Middle East.
He stressed that condemning hate-related threats is necessary but insufficient without broader political solutions.
“Our community in Madison Heights is peaceful, educated and contributes to the prosperity of this region,” Al-Alhussaini said. “Our community has been part of this city for more than 20 years. We are committed to the law and to peaceful coexistence. And, certainly, we do not implement Sharia law here.”
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