Arab-American organizations cyber attacked

DEARBORN, Mich. (WJBK) - Dearborn police are investigating the cyber-attack that targeted three Arab American organizations in hopes of promoting hate.

The cyber-attack happened Thursday afternoon. The main target was the American Human Rights Council in Dearborn.

The executive director said as a result, he received an email Friday morning from the webmaster to inform him the hacker or hackers also gained access and shut down 49 other websites.

"We have no tolerance for hate messages or any form or shape of intimidating us as an organization," said Imad Hamad of the American Human Rights Council.

There were three propaganda messages promoting terrorism and rejecting western culture.

"Mainly it says that we're watching you, we're coming to you. That's a simple message. It's a typical message of hate," Hamad said.

All of the websites were back up by Thursday evening. Dearborn police say they are looking into the hack, but nothing has turned up. The American Human Rights Council also contacted the FBI.

"I'm sure that we must be doing something right to be targeted, to be singled out. We take pride of our vocal advocacy stance against terrorism, against violence, again extremism," Hamad said.

The executive director of the American Human Rights Council says the IP address traced back to Virginia, but it appears to be fake. Therefore, the cyber-attack could have originated somewhere out of the country.