ISIS calls for attacks on US voters
Security agencies in the US revealed intelligence inputs that suggest a possibility of terror attacks by Al-Qaeda militants on election day, November 8. Intelligence inputs indicate Virginia, Texas and New York are under threat. ISIS in a message called for the "slaughter" of Americans on election day and asked Muslims to not vote given that ISIS perceives both, Trump and Clinton, to be anti-Muslim.
US Presidential candidates on migrants and minorities
Donald Trump's and Hillary Clinton's position on minorities, Muslim migrants and American Muslims is starkly different. Their campaigns' have ranged from the extreme exclusionary stance adopted by Trump and welcoming stance by Clinton leading to divisiveness amongst US voters.
Donald Trump's policies on minorities
From the start of Trump's campaign, Donald Trump has taken a hardline view of immigrants particularly Muslim migrants. He has repeatedly called for increased surveillance of American Muslims and asked for "extreme vetting" of muslim migrants entering the country. Given the very recent ISIS-inspired terror attacks in America, Trump's anti-Muslim rhetoric has led to American-Muslims feeling isolated and jittery from being under closer watch.
Hillary Clinton's stand on minorities
Hillary Clinton has been welcoming of Muslim refugees from war-torn regions of the Middle-East and has advocated for admitting Syrian refugees who're in dire need of help. She dismissed Trump's claims to build a 'Mexico-US-border' wall to limit illegal immigration and said it was the most secure border US ever had. Clinton is also in favour of immigration reform with a path to citizenship.
Hillary Clinton courts Muslims
Hillary Clinton has repeatedly courted American Muslims by hiring dedicated staffers to consolidate its Muslim outreach. American Muslims are in significant numbers in several swing states like including Virginia, Michigan, Florida and North Carolina and can significantly impact election-results.
Ominous warning from ISIS
According to a US based terrorist monitoring group, ISIS's threats appeared in a manifesto titled 'The Murtadd Vote' which stated that militants "have come to slaughter you and smash your ballot-boxes." The manifesto used lengthy religious arguments to justify attacks on US voters and went on to allege that policies of both candidates, Clinton and Trump, were against Islam and essentially anti-Muslims.
New York Police on high alert
According to New York city Mayor, Bill de Blasio, New York Police is on a state of alert. He confirmed that federal authorities had passed on information pertaining to the terror attack several days ago and despite it being vague, officials were taking precautions. Blasio said heightened security measures would be put into place given the high-profile events to be scheduled in coming weeks.
Recent terror attacks unnerved Americans
In September, a bomb blew up in a dumpster in Chelsea, NYC injuring 31 people. A second pressure-cooker bomb was found nearby, unexploded. The suspect, Ahmad Khan Rahami, was arrested for planting the bombs and other crimes; Rahami had been inspired by extremist Islamic ideology.
