The Islamic Academy of Alabama received a bomb threat Saturday that police ultimately determined was a bluff.
Police swept the school campus twice with bomb-detection dogs early Saturday morning before concluding there was no threat to the school.
Homewood police received the bomb threat directly at about 4 a.m., according to school officials, and officers cleared the scene by about 6:20 a.m.
School officials also reviewed security camera footage and found no evidence of suspicious activity on campus during that time.
“Following the initial response, we remained in communication with the police to review the situation and discuss plans moving forward,” Sohaib Chekima, the academy’s principal, told parents in an email Saturday. “At this time, the investigation remains ongoing, and law enforcement has indicated that there is no evident imminent threat to our school community. As an added precaution, however, police will maintain an increased presence around our campus in the coming days, including frequent patrols and stops in and around the school.”
The Islamic Academy faced Islamophobic backlash when it requested rezoning to move to a larger location in Hoover, drawing attention from local residents and figures including Tommy Tuberville, the Republican nominee for governor.
“This week, the people of Hoover, Alabama, came together and sent a clear message. We do not want extremist Islamic indoctrination centers taking over our state,” Tuberville said after officials unanimously denied the rezoning request. “Soon afterwards, the academy withdrew its proposal. This is great news, not just for the greater Birmingham region, but our entire state of Alabama. The people of Alabama said enough’s enough and stood up against the spread of radical Islamic supremacy.”
Muslims have been a frequent target of Tuberville’s campaign rhetoric, although he recently said he would represent the rights of all Alabama constituents as governor, including Muslims.
