Mariah Cain, Staff Writer
The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced on Thursday that the hotel scheduled to host their 29th annual banquet has canceled the event due to numerous terror threats. The banquet was scheduled to take place at the Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington, Virginia where it has been annually for 10 years. According to the hotel, they have received anonymous calls threatening to plant bombs in the hotel’s parking garage and harm staff if the banquet took place.
“We strongly condemn these threats and the broader surge in Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Insha Allah, we will not be stopped by bigotry or cowardly threats,” the council said in a statement. “Now is the time for our community, friends and political leaders to stand together and reject this wave of hate. We will continue standing with Palestine and we will continue fighting for justice.”
