Tennessee mosque receives bomb threat

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MURFREESBORO, Tenn., Sept. 7 (UPI) -- Authorities said someone called a Tennessee mosque and left a threat on the answering machine saying the mosque would be blown up Sept. 11.

Police and federal Homeland Security agents were investigating the threat, The (Nashville) Tennessean reported.

The threat was left on the answering machine of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro about 1 a.m. Monday and discovered Tuesday afternoon, said Officer Kyle Evans, a spokesman for the Murfreesboro Police Department.

The message said a bomb would be placed in the building Sept. 11 and the caller made "derogatory remarks toward the Muslim faith,'' Evans said.

The threat likely will be investigated as a hate crime, Evans said.

"It is most definitely hate-filled speech, but more importantly, it's just meant to intimidate, especially at a time when our nation is grieving and trying to remember 9/11, it is very inappropriate," Evans said.

Police plan to increase patrols around the Islamic Center.