Fleta

26 December 2010: In the wake of a recent warning by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the terrorist threat “All Americans must die” was scrawled on the wall of the Tyson meat plant in Shelbyville, Tennessee last week. The developing story was first reported last Thursday by Nashville based WSMV-TV Channel 4, with a video providing additional details of the incident.

While the text of the article does not mention the Somali Muslim work force at the plant, a plant worker who requested anonymity out of fear for her safety told the news station:

“They’ve complained for years, as to why these people are being hired in our food department when we are worried about our safety as Americans, you know, and that’s something we all need to think about.”

On Friday, 24 December 2010, this investigator spoke with a plant security worker who confirmed the incident, and stated that the plant security suspects that one or more of the Somali Muslim workers is behind the threatening message. The Tyson plant employs a significant number of Muslims from Somalia, many who appear increasingly unhappy following the airing of a liberal documentary of the “plight” of Somalis in Shelbyville that recently premiered.

An article by Jerry Gordon, a writer for Chip Hanlon’s Red County, published on 24 December 2010 also references the documentary and the ” Somali Muslim culture clash in Shelbyville.”

According to the plant security officer interviewed by this investigator, plant workers are concerned for the safety of the food product they produce and in some cases, afraid for their own safety. “Most of these [Somali Muslims] don’t want to interact with others, integrate within the community, and seem quite antagonistic to the American way of life,” he stated. “I don’t know why they want to continue to work or live here when they seem very unhappy all of the time,” he added. This source stated that their behavior concerns other American workers at the plant.

“It’s just a matter of time before something happens, whether it’s to our product or internally here at the plant,” he added. According to the news report, the women’s restroom was set on fire the previous week, which was confirmed by this security officer.