SMFNews: Muslim Leaders Urge Turnout as Mosques Brace for Election Day

A “Vote Here” sign outside a polling place in Aitkin, Minnesota, during the Aug. 11, 2026, primary. Photo: Lorie Shaull, CC BY 4.0

As Election Day nears, American Muslim leaders are urging their communities to vote in the Nov. 3 midterm elections while tightening security at mosques, after a national Muslim advocacy group rated the threat of physical attacks against Muslims “Elevated” and voters in several states reported intimidation at the polls.

In an Oct. 30 security bulletin, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) said that as Election Day approaches, it is “concerned about the safety and security of mosques and Muslim voters.” In Minnesota, imams told MPR News they have added bulletproof windows, cameras, guards and police training, and are urging Muslims not to let fear keep them from the polls.

Why MPAC raised its threat level

MPAC’s Center for Security, Technology, and Policy based its assessment on two recent cases. On Oct. 27, a mosque in San Diego was placed on lockdown after police were told that a woman who was possibly armed was heading there; she was detained for a mental health evaluation. MPAC said it found anti-Muslim replies to the police department’s post about the lockdown on X, including one that read “Burn it down,” which it reported and which was removed.

In Michigan, MPAC said, a man associated with an online group tied to activist Jake Lang posted an Oct. 13 video of himself driving past a mosque with the caption “Little Preview.” A commenter wrote that it was “time for patriots to start roasting marshmallows,” a remark MPAC said could suggest arson. The group said it notified the mosque and local law enforcement. MPAC’s tracker lists 40 reported threats and attacks against Muslims and Islamic institutions in the U.S. this year, and the group notes that most hate crimes against Muslims are never reported.

In an October report, “Targeting the Muslim Vote”, MPAC warned of provocateurs holding anti-Muslim rallies and surveilling polling stations and mosques, especially in Michigan. It identified Michigan, Minnesota, California, Texas, Illinois and Georgia as at-risk states.

Intimidation reported at the polls

On Oct. 15, the first day of early voting in North Carolina, a man allegedly entered the 50-foot buffer zone outside the Surry County Board of Elections office in Dobson, told a woman she was “not a Christian,” made a remark about her losing her head to Islam and made a throat-slash gesture, according to court records reported by WFDD and the Mount Airy News. Walter Harris III, a former county commission candidate, was charged with disorderly conduct and disturbing an election official. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The North Carolina chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NC) welcomed the charges. “We commend the swift response in addressing this unacceptable behavior,” said Al Rieder, the chapter’s community engagement manager. “Voter intimidation undermines our democratic process and will not be tolerated.”

— Al Rieder, Community Engagement Manager, CAIR-North Carolina, October 20, 2026

The North Carolina case follows complaints in Lewiston, Maine, where Muslim voters said they were filmed and followed during early voting, and felony charges in Minneapolis against two activists who visited polling places in burqas during Minnesota’s August primary.

Minnesota mosques add security, urge turnout

Since 2016, FBI data show anti-Muslim hate crimes in Minnesota have risen during midterm and presidential election years, a pattern seen nationally for hate crimes overall, MPR News reported. The FBI has recorded 12 anti-Islamic hate crime incidents in the state so far this year, two of them at mosques. CAIR’s Minnesota chapter, which logged 693 complaints in 2025, up 96% from 353 in 2024, held a safety-planning meeting last month for imams and clergy of other faiths.

Abdulahi Farah, an imam in Bloomington whose mosque was firebombed in 2017, said it has since invested in bulletproof windows, cameras and security guards, and police have trained staff to deal with threats. “I think the worst thing is when people turn away from the mosques because they’re afraid,” he told MPR News. Hudhayfa Suhail, an imam in Lakeville, said many incidents go unreported because communities “don’t want to scare” members or discourage attendance at programs.

Jawad Islam, a leader at a mosque in Blaine, said his biggest fear is that Muslims will stay home. “That the propaganda will get to them and the fear will get to them and they will stay home,” he said. “Every vote matters. Your voice matters. And if you don’t vote, then your voice will never be heard.”

— Jawad Islam, mosque leader in Blaine, Minnesota, to MPR News, November 2, 2026

Strong intent to vote

A CAIR survey of registered Muslim voters, released Oct. 28, found that 81% of respondents say they will definitely vote and another 9% say they probably will. Among respondents who did not vote in the 2022 midterms, 74% said they now definitely intend to vote, and 80% of all respondents said anti-Muslim sentiment has increased. The survey, conducted Oct. 16–25 among 861 Muslim respondents, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points; CAIR notes that stated intentions are not a forecast of turnout. CAIR estimates there are more than 3 million registered Muslim voters in the U.S.

Know your rights on Election Day

In Michigan, the U.S. Justice Department has told Detroit, East Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Hamtramck, Lansing and Warren that federal monitors will be at polling places on Election Day, CBS Detroit reported. The Michigan attorney general’s office said such monitors are a standard part of the process and that, like any poll watcher, they “cannot speak with voters, touch election equipment or ballots, or interfere with the administration of the election.”

MPAC advises voters not to engage with provocateurs, to document and report suspicious activity, to learn their state’s protections against voter intimidation and to go to the polls with members of their community. It urges mosques that serve as polling stations to review how staff will respond to disruptions, including how to verify officials’ credentials, and to coordinate in advance with local police, the FBI and fire departments. Its election security page collects these resources.

CAIR’s nonpartisan Muslims.Vote campaign offers tools to check registration and find polling places, along with guidance on voter rights and safety. CAIR-NC encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses intimidation at the polls to document it and report it immediately to local election officials, law enforcement or civil rights organizations. The nonpartisan Election Protection hotline is 866-OUR-VOTE.

Why it matters

The warnings come as Muslim voters say they plan to turn out in large numbers. Community leaders interviewed by MPR News said their message is the same regardless of whom people support: vote. For mosques, the task this week is to stay open and welcoming while keeping worshippers and voters safe.

“Voting is a civic duty and a trust. No one should have to choose between their safety and their voice. We urge every eligible American Muslim to vote tomorrow, to go with family and neighbors, and to report any intimidation they see,” said Rahat Husain, executive director of the Shia Muslim Foundation.

— Rahat Husain, executive director, Shia Muslim Foundation, November 2, 2026

Sources: MPR News (Nov. 2, 2026); MPAC security bulletin (Oct. 30, 2026); MPAC, “Targeting the Muslim Vote” (October 2026); WFDD (Oct. 20, 2026); Mount Airy News; CAIR-NC (Oct. 20, 2026); CAIR and CAIR Action survey (Oct. 28, 2026); CBS Detroit; Michigan Department of Attorney General (Oct. 22, 2026); Muslims.Vote.

SMF Alarmed by Bahrain’s Arrests of Shia Preachers and Reciters

The skyline of Manama, the capital of Bahrain. Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) is deeply alarmed by reports that Bahraini authorities are arresting Shia preachers, reciters and mourning organizers in connection with the annual Fatimiyya commemorations. These observances mark the martyrdom of Lady Fatima al-Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, who Shia Muslims believe died from her injuries and as a martyr. According to reports SMF has received directly, at least six men have been detained in recent weeks. SMF is monitoring the situation closely.

“These reports are deeply troubling to Shia communities around the world. We urge Bahrain to say where these men are held, to give them access to lawyers and their families, and to release anyone held solely for their faith.” — Rahat Husain, Executive Director of the Shia Muslim Foundation

What SMF has been told

According to reports SMF has received, three preachers and reciters were arrested earlier this month, and on Oct. 30 a further reciter and two leaders of a hussainiya’s mourning committee (a hussainiya is a Shia community hall) were reported detained. Some detentions reportedly followed online campaigns targeting religious content. SMF is withholding the names of those detained out of concern for their safety and that of their families.

SMF has not independently verified each detention. As of publication, SMF is not aware of any public statement from Bahrain’s authorities explaining the reasons for these arrests or any charges. Details may change as more information comes in, and SMF will update this article as verified information becomes available.

Part of a pattern documented by rights groups

These arrests come against a backdrop that independent human rights organizations have been documenting for months. A joint report by SALAM for Democracy and Human Rights (SALAM DHR) and the Bahrain Forum for Human Rights, “Criminalising a Religious Doctrine and Rituals,” was launched at a seminar on Oct. 12. It documents the arrest of 64 Shia religious scholars in Bahrain between March and August 2026, including 44 on a single day, May 9. It also records about 150 arrests linked to the Ashura season, involving scholars, preachers, reciters and administrators of ma’tams (Shia religious assembly halls), and the cancellation of 103 processions or ma’tams.

The report says detainees were subjected to torture, ill-treatment and coerced confessions, and that fair-trial rights were restricted. It also documents hate speech and sectarian incitement against Shia religious figures. The two groups call on Bahrain to release anyone arbitrarily detained, to investigate the torture allegations, and to invite UN human rights experts to visit.

Other organizations have raised similar alarms. In an Aug. 3 joint statement, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) and five other groups said more than fifty Shia clerics, preachers, reciters and religious figures had been arrested or prosecuted, and that Ashura gatherings had been restricted. On Oct. 16, Human Rights Watch, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) and other groups urged an end to the mass prosecution of Shia clerics. Their letter says 69 defendants face a mass trial, 56 of them in custody, including 46 clerics, and that at least 37 clerics were arrested on May 9. Counts differ among organizations.

What SMF is calling for

Release anyone held for their faith. Anyone detained solely for leading, reciting at or organizing religious commemorations should be released immediately and unconditionally.

Due process and humane treatment. Those in custody must be told why they are held, be able to see a lawyer and their families, and be protected from torture and ill-treatment.

Respect for the right to worship. Bahrain is bound by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which protects freedom of religion or belief. Shia Muslims must be free to mourn Lady Fatima al-Zahra without fear of arrest.

International attention. SMF urges that UN experts on freedom of religion or belief be invited to Bahrain, as the rights groups above have asked, and urges governments with ties to Bahrain, including the United States, to raise these cases publicly.

SMF is monitoring

Freedom of religion is a universal right, and no one should be jailed for reciting, preaching or mourning. SMF has received direct reports of these arrests and will keep monitoring the situation, and will share updates as verified information becomes available.

Sources: SALAM DHR and Bahrain Forum for Human Rights report (launched Oct. 12, 2026); ADHRB joint statement (Aug. 3, 2026); Human Rights Watch and BIRD joint letter (Oct. 16, 2026). Details of the recent arrests are based on reports received by SMF.

Shia Muslim Foundation Supports Congressional Call for Answers on Reported Civilian Deaths in Iran

The U.S. Capitol. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2026

Media contact: Rahat Husain, Executive Director, Shia Muslim Foundation

rahat@shiamuslimfoundation.com | shiamuslimfoundation.com

SMF backs Rep. Sarah Elfreth and 73 House colleagues in urging the Defense Department to account for civilian harm and to protect civilian life

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 30, 2026 — The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) today expressed its support for a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, co-signed by Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Md., 3rd District), that asks the Department of Defense for a full public accounting of reported civilian deaths from U.S. military operations in Iran and for steps to prevent further civilian harm.

The letter, dated Oct. 8, 2026, was led by Reps. Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), Sara Jacobs (Calif.) and Jason Crow (Colo.) and signed by 74 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including Rep. Elfreth, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. It was copied to Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command.

The letter raises “grave concern” about reports of civilian casualties at a wedding in the town of Kuhestak, Iran, on Sept. 1, 2026. According to the letter, five civilians were killed, including a 4-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, and dozens were injured. The letter notes that the Department “has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for this incident,” while citing a Washington Post report that there is a “high likelihood” the United States was responsible. The Defense Department has said it is looking into the reports and that the U.S. military “never targets civilians,” according to Stars and Stripes.

The lawmakers also point to a Feb. 28 strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran, that the letter says killed a reported 175 civilians, including 120 children. They write that more than six months later the Department “has still not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the strike nor released the findings of its investigation.”

“We are deeply alarmed by the continued pattern of civilian casualties resulting from U.S. operations in the war in Iran, and the apparent lack of action and accountability from the Department,” the lawmakers wrote. They added: “Acknowledging such incidents, accepting responsibility, and learning from them makes our forces stronger, more effective, and an example to the world.”

The letter asks the Department to answer six sets of questions by Oct. 26, 2026. They include whether U.S. forces carried out the Kuhestak strike; whether an independent investigation has been opened and when it will finish; when Congress and the public will receive the findings of the Minab investigation; and what concrete steps the Department has taken to prevent civilian harm in targeting. The letter also says that staffing for the Department’s civilian harm mitigation and response programs has reportedly been sharply reduced.

“Every civilian life matters, whoever and wherever they are. The Shia Muslim Foundation supports the call for a full, public accounting of reported civilian deaths, including the deaths of children, and for stronger measures to keep families out of harm’s way. Transparency and accountability honor those who were lost and protect the living,” said Rahat Husain, executive director of the Shia Muslim Foundation.

SMF has met with Rep. Elfreth to discuss mosque safety and other concerns of Maryland’s Muslim communities, and values her continued engagement.

SMF’s support is focused on one principle: the protection of civilian life and the right of families, in any country, to be safe from harm. SMF encourages the Department of Defense to respond fully to Congress and to make the findings of its civilian-harm investigations public.

SMF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. It does not endorse candidates or political parties.

Sources: Letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Oct. 8, 2026 (crow.house.gov); Rep. Yassamin Ansari press release (ansari.house.gov); Stars and Stripes, Sept. 4, 2026.

About the Shia Muslim Foundation

The Shia Muslim Foundation (SMF) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Maryland. Its mission is to advance the civic rights of American Shia Muslims, provide direct community support, and serve as a credible and representative voice for the Shia Muslim community in engagement with government at all levels. Learn more at shiamuslimfoundation.com.

Media contact

Rahat Husain, Executive Director

Shia Muslim Foundation

rahat@shiamuslimfoundation.com

shiamuslimfoundation.com

###