The Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Arizona), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed state felony charges brought against an Arizona man accused of plotting a mass-casualty attack targeting Muslim and Jewish sites.
CAIR-AZ urged federal authorities to bring similar charges.
According to court records and prosecutors, 27-year-old Matthew Bjornholt was arrested following an FBI investigation into an alleged plot involving explosives and firearms directed at local religious sites. Prosecutors stated that the suspect discussed plans for an attack targeting a Jewish or Muslim house of worship during an upcoming holiday and “picking off people” after bombs went off.
In a statement, CAIR-Arizona Executive Director Azza Abuseif said: "We welcome the swift actions taken by law enforcement to address this alarming threat. We stand in solidarity with our Jewish and interfaith neighbors against all forms of bigotry, extremism, and violence. Federal law enforcement authorities should bring similar charges to those brought by state authorities."
She said CAIR-AZ is calling on community leaders of all faiths to utilize its current resources to help keep religious facilities safe.
SEE: Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety Guide 2026
Washington, D.C.-based CAIR recently said it has documented 17 incidents targeting Islamic places of worship in May, June, and July to date. The 17 incidents represent 51 percent of the previous year’s total and a 183 percent increase over the same three-month period last year, during which CAIR documented six such incidents.
CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
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