“We appreciate Judge Bernthal’s bold and principled decision and his acknowledgment that such threats are acts of terror,” said CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Amina Sharif. “We hope this sends a clear message to Islamophobes who try to threaten and intimidate Muslim Americans - that we will not live in fear.”

"The bench should be representative of American society, and if you look at American society there are people of different religions, races, and genders," says Christina Abraham, CAIR-Chicago Civil Rights Director.