By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) – A 78-year-old man in Michigan was charged with ethnic intimidation over alleged threats against a U.S. Muslim advocacy group, the Council on American Islamic Relations, the advocacy group and officials said on Thursday.
Paul Naiman was arraigned on three counts of ethnic intimidation, with the Canton Police Department confirming the charges from prosecutors. Naiman could face up to two years in prison for each count if he is convicted.
CAIR said separately that the charges stem from threats allegedly made by Naiman through emails aimed at the Michigan chapter of the advocacy group in which he called for the “extermination” of all Muslims.
Dawud Walid, the executive director of the advocacy group’s Michigan chapter, was also sent harassing and threatening emails by the suspect, according to CAIR. Naiman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Human rights advocates, including CAIR, have noted rising hate against American Muslims, Arabs and Jews since the eruption of U.S. ally Israel’s war in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian Hamas militants.
Some recent cases in which hate crime was alleged include the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois and the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Muslim girl in Texas.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)
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