Extremism's Target: Why Churches Are Under Attack

In the quiet town of Roseville, California, worshippers at a Christian church faced a chilling ordeal when Zimnako Salah strapped a backpack around a toilet, sparking fears of a bomb. The federal jury’s guilty verdict on April 3, 2025, confirmed what many suspected: this was no mere prank. Salah’s actions, targeting multiple churches across three states, were a calculated assault on the sacred right to worship freely, driven by a hatred so deep it earned the legal label of a hate crime.

The evidence paints a grim picture. Between September and November 2023, Salah roamed from Arizona to Colorado, planting hoax bombs and lurking with intent. At two churches, he succeeded in sowing panic; at others, vigilant security stopped him short. Yet the terror didn’t end with fake explosives. A search of his storage unit uncovered parts for a real improvised explosive device, a stark reminder that his threats hovered on the edge of catastrophe. This wasn’t just intimidation; it was a man teetering on the brink of violence, fueled by extremist venom he’d gorged on online.

For those who gather each week to pray, sing, and find solace, Salah’s campaign struck at the heart of their sanctuary. It’s a violation that reverberates beyond church walls, echoing a rising tide of hate that’s crashing against religious communities nationwide. As a nation, we can’t afford to look away.

Salah’s case isn’t an anomaly; it’s a symptom. Last year alone, the FBI tallied 2,699 religion-based hate crimes across the United States, a number that claws at the conscience. Jewish communities bore the brunt, with 1,832 incidents, the highest since tracking began in 1991. Catholic churches, too, have faced a barrage of attacks, a trend mirrored globally from Europe’s 2,400 anti-Christian crimes to Latin America’s assaults on religious leaders. These aren’t random acts; they’re a pattern of intolerance that’s metastasizing.

What drives someone like Salah? His social media trail offers a clue: searches for 'infidels dying,' hours spent watching ISIS execution videos. Extremist propaganda, now supercharged by tools like generative AI, preys on vulnerable minds, spinning lies into calls for blood. The Anti-Defamation League has tracked this poison spreading on platforms like X, where far-right voices exploit global tensions to fan antisemitism and division. Salah didn’t act in a vacuum; he was a product of a digital cesspool that’s radicalizing too many.

Yet some argue these are isolated incidents, lone wolves not worth the fuss. They’re wrong. Dismissing Salah’s actions as a one-off ignores the coordinated menace behind them, the way hoax threats and real bombs alike drain law enforcement and terrorize communities. The Department of Homeland Security’s push to unite 18,000 agencies against such threats, through initiatives like the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, proves the stakes are national. This isn’t about overreach; it’s about survival.

Opponents might claim the First Amendment shields Salah’s right to provoke. That’s a flimsy dodge. Free speech stops where terror begins, and planting fake bombs to obstruct worship crosses that line with a sneer. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, alongside local prosecutors, nailed this truth in court. Their victory sends a message: faith-based intimidation won’t stand.

History backs this up. From the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing to the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre, attacks on worshippers have long scarred our moral fabric. Each time, the response has been clear: strengthen laws, sharpen penalties, protect the vulnerable. The Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 and the 2009 Hate Crimes Prevention Act weren’t born from weakness but from a resolve to fight back. Salah’s six-year maximum sentence, set for July, is a start, but it’s not enough to heal the wound.

This verdict isn’t just a win for Roseville’s congregation; it’s a rallying cry. Religious freedom isn’t a privilege to be toyed with, it’s a bedrock of who we are. When Attorney General Pamela Bondi declares zero tolerance for targeting believers, she’s right, and the Justice Department’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias is a step toward proving it. But words and task forces alone won’t cut it. We need action that hits harder, funding that flows faster, laws that bite deeper.

Look at the tools already in play: $8.6 billion in DHS grants to local law enforcement, a national network of prevention coordinators, intelligence-sharing apps linking feds and beat cops. These aren’t bureaucratic fluff; they’re lifelines keeping communities whole. Salah’s conviction shows what happens when federal agents, local police, and prosecutors sync up. It’s a blueprint we can’t afford to shelve.

So where do we go from here? Double down. Push sentencing guidelines to reflect the true cost of hate, beyond the six years Salah faces. Amplify efforts to choke off extremist propaganda online, not with censorship, but with smarter regulation and relentless exposure of its lies. Above all, stand with every church, synagogue, and mosque targeted by bigots, because an attack on one is an attack on all. That’s not rhetoric; it’s reality.