Islamic Group Asks FBI to Investigate Threats Made to Englewood Mosque

An Islamic civil rights group is calling for the FBI to investigate a series of threats directed against an Englewood mosque during the holy month of Ramadan.

Englewood police say a man phoned threats to the Mehfil-e-Shah-e-Khorasan Charitable Trust Mosque in Englewood on Sunday, prompting a search for explosives. A sweep found there were no explosives at the Liberty Road center.

The Council on Islamic-American Relations of New Jersey (CAIR-NJ) in a statement issued Tuesday said federal authorities have the ability to help solve the case and the reach to halt rising bigotry.

"Because we are witnessing a growing number of incidents targeting mosques nationwide, we urge federal law enforcement authorities to assist in the investigation and to speak out against the rising anti-Muslim bigotry in our society that leads to such attacks," said Khurrum Ali, Civil Rights Director for CAIR-NJ.

CAIR-NJ lobbied for a hate crime investigation to be opened after a Morris County mosque was vandalized in June.

In his statement, Ali pointed to bomb threats in California, Texas as further reason to enlist the help of federal authorities. Other reports of vandals targeting mosques were fielded in Minnesota and Georgia.

"It just raises the bar to have the FBI involved," Ali told NJ.com. "This is not the only mosque that's been vandalized recently."

Englewood detectives are following what they described as "significant" leads in the case.