South Carolina Muslim Community Condemns Hateful Misinformation, Calls for Unity and Protection of Constitutional Rights
TMOA Press Release
South Carolina — March 2026
Holy Islamville, a longstanding rural Muslim community in South Carolina, is deeply concerned about a series of online posts and statements made by public officials violently targeting its residents after the recent Eid celebration. The Eid festival takes place after the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan where Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, increase in charitable giving and seek to deepen their spiritual connection with God. The joyous Eid occasion was held on the community’s property and attended by families, elders, children, and veterans who enjoyed delicious food, games, and activities including a procession commemorating the event. However, in the days following, alarming rhetoric began circulating online—some of which included explicit calls for violence against the men, women, and children of the community.
Public online statements by elected officials, including Senator Wes Climer, Senator Harvey Peeler, and Congressman Ralph Norman, have contributed to a spread of misinformation. U.S. Senate candidate Mark Lynch publicly referred to the location as a “training camp” and labeled residents and visitors as “terrorists” and “foreigners.” A community representative responded, “This vitriolic language and venomous lies by elected officials is completely unacceptable and cannot be taken lightly. We will not be intimidated and remain committed to peace, service, and faith. Furthermore, we appreciate our interfaith allies in the Christian community who strongly reject this attack on fellow Americans simply due to a difference in faith.”
Unfortunately, the community knows first hand that hateful rhetoric and unchecked false narratives have real and devastating consequences. In 2015, the community’s members living in upstate New York learned of a planned assault by a former congressional candidate from Tennessee, Robert Rankin Doggart, who was later convicted for his plot to attack the property. Doggart consumed and spread the same type of hateful language that eventually led him to target innocent Americans – even if it meant their children would be “collateral damage”. The community’s longstanding relationship with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies thwarted Doggart’s deadly plan. Law enforcement has been in communication with the leadership of the Holy Islamville community to acknowledge the seriousness of this situation and encourage measures that uphold constitutional protections, ensure community safety, and identify potential threats.
Holy Islamville is home to multi-generational Muslim American families, including veterans, teachers, doctors, senior citizens, and youth. Many residents are descendants of those who entered this country through the historic port of Charleston and have lived in South Carolina for generations.
The Holy Islamville community calls on public officials, community leaders, and neighbors to reject misinformation, denounce harmful rhetoric, and stand together in protecting the safety and dignity of all communities.
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The Muslims of America, Inc. (TMOA), is an indigenous American Muslim organization founded in 1980 and based in the United States of America. TMOA is dedicated to maintaining Islamic principles to be practiced in both letter and spirit by forming communities focused on love for the Almighty Creator, His Commandments, and the establishment of long-lasting relationships through interfaith programs.
Contact Info:
Muhammad Matthew Gardner
The Muslims of America Inc.
+1 (434) 352-1166
[email protected]
\http://www.TMOAmerica.org