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12:12 PM MST on Monday, November 21, 2005

Andrea Dearden
NewsChannel 7 Crime Reporter

The FBI wants to know who is responsible for threatening fliers found in several Ada County neighborhoods and business districts.

The message is causing concern in Boise's Muslim community.

The fliers found in west Boise and Meridian earlier this month claim to be written by a Muslim angry with Americans -- but members of Boise's Muslim community say the message is poorly written -- and not believable.

They say the papers appear to be pieces of propaganda aimed at dividing cultures.

Jameel Almudahf is a Muslim who moved to the United States from Iraq more than a decade ago. He says these fliers -- with Arabic messages urging Muslims to unite -- are misleading.

“I think this is propaganda. That's it,” Almudahfr said. “This is not the picture of Islam. This is not the way to present Islam.”

The words read "death to America -- death to Israel" -- with images of president bush and al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden -- a man mainstream Muslims denounce.

“Islam does not promote violence or hatred or mass slaughter," said Boise Muslim Shahidullah Khandaker.

Someone left the papers were left in a west Boise neighborhood and near several meridian businesses -- Khandaker thinks the author was trying to incite fear and cause people to distrust his religion.

It means, to me, that somebody is trying to incite hate toward the Muslim community here," Khandaker said.

“Nobody ever wants to stereotype and say that just because there is anything related to Islam or Allah or anything like that, therefore it's terror related, because that is absurd," FBI special agent Brent Robbins said.

Robbins said there is no evidence the fliers are the act of extremists.

In fact, at this point -- the FBI isn't willing to call them criminal.

“It very well could be just kind of an information or freedom of speech type of information,” Robbins said.

But because the papers pose generalized threats -- investigators want to know what -- and who -- is behind the message.

“It's because of the fact of what is said, 'death to the United States America, Death to Israel, now we're crossing that edge as to freedom of speech," Robbins said.

Robbins says this investigation is about intelligence. Agents want to get as much information as possible so they can identify any subversive groups acting against the United States.

Muslims we spoke with say this is an opportunity for more communication -- a chance to open dialogue to help clear up confusion, allowing cultures to better understand one another.