Two men accused of threatening Detroit Muslims

11/17/2004 8:54:00 AM GMT

Source: Detroit Free Press

A grand jury in U.S. District Court in Detroit accused two men from New York of sending e-mails to the Islamic Center of America threatening to kill Muslims, the U.S. Attorney's Office said on Tuesday.

John Barnett, 54, and Michael Bratisax, 45, reportedly sent e-mails in May from their home computers in New York to the Detroit mosque, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

"Threats against a person based upon that person's free exercise of their religious beliefs undermine the foundation upon which our country is built," U.S. Attorney Craig Morford said.

The Islamic center is one of Michigan's largest Muslim congregations.

"There is a certain amount of satisfaction that the system works properly, that these types of threats are taken seriously by our government," said Kassem Allie, administrator for the Islamic Center of America.

Part of Bratisax's e-mail message said; "I pray to get the opportunity to kill a Muslim. You're not even 'real people." In a second e-mail, authorities said Bratisax wrote: "I pray every one of Allah's followers enjoys hell. ... That's where you belong."

Barnett's e-mail message said; "Keep coming here and now you will be hunted by me and the rest of the world. ... Your Mohammed sucks. Death to you all! Or I will kill you. JB"

Barnett is also accused of damaging religious property and sending a threatening communication. Bratisax is charged with two counts of obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs and two counts of sending a threatening communication.

If convicted, each could be sentenced to 10 years in jail and fined up to $250,000.

The U.S. Department of Justice reported that at least 600 incidents of bias-motivated crime against people from the Middle East have been probed since Sept. 11, 2001. So far, there have been 18 convictions.