ADL: Death threats against CAIR a ‘hate crime’

By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO — The regional office of the Anti-Defamation League has welcomed the prosecution of a La Mesa man on charges that he phoned death threats to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) in San Diego.

The ADL issued this statement on Thursday, Feb. 5: “Threats against individuals or organizations as a result of hatred and bigotry are un-American, undemocratic and ultimately are an attack against American society as a whole. Such cowardly acts have no place in society. We are pleased that the District Attorney’s office is prosecuting this as a hate crime…”

John David Weissinger, 53, was arraigned in San Diego County Superior Court on Tuesday, Feb. 3, and was freed on a $50,000 bond by Judge David Szumowski, who ordered Weissinger to refrain from alcohol use and stay at least 100 yards away from CAIR or Muslim facilities.

Weissinger was represented in court by attorney Thomas Matthews, who told reporters his client had been under the influence of alcohol when threats were made by telephone to the local  CAIR office and by email to the national office in Washington D.C.  At the time, he said, the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris was very much in the news.

Deputy District Attorney Oscar Garcia told the judge that racist literature and an AR-15 rifle were seized from Weissinger’s home.

Hanif Mohebi, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that Weissinger should have been denied bail for terrorizing the CAIR staff and the Muslim community.  He said his community feels unsafe with Weissinger out of jail.

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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World.  Your comment may be posted in the space below or sent to donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com