LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — If you've noticed the rise of hateful rhetoric over the past few months, you're not alone. Law enforcement officials have seen that as well— including the FBI.
FBI officials, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, offered a public service announcement on Tuesday evening, which explained that this isn't because of a specific plot they're tracking, but because of increased tensions due to the war between Israel and Hamas.
Because of that, both agencies said threats of violence at places of worship are likely heightened throughout the winter, including those in Jewish and Muslim communities.
If you ask those who are in those communities, they'll tell you that it's frustration that comes to mind.
"Not a sense of scaring, it's just a reminder to be aware of your surroundings, be aware of what you're doing," Rabbi Pinchus Ciment of Chabad Lubavitch said. "It weighs heavily that there are people, justifiably, who are fearful to come out and celebrate the holiday, together with the community. They feel they have to do so in their homes in a private way."
This time of year is meant for community and togetherness, which makes news like this hard to deal with.
"If the FBI finds it important enough to share this information on a public matter, and specifically towards houses of worship and Jewish institutions, it behooves us to take this quite seriously," Ciment described.
Across Little Rock, members of the Islamic Center of Little Rock have been feeling the same way.
"We've been very fortunate that there hasn't been any attacks on Little Rock, or hate crimes," Nader Abou-Diab with the center said. "We're always concerned about somebody that could do something like that."
These concerns go beyond either religion. Safety has been top of mind for everyone right now.
"I came to the States for safety," Abou-Diab, originally from Jerusalem, said. "I want the same for my children."
That goes for their own communities, and for each other as well.
"Everybody is a human being with a heart, they bleed, they want to live, they want to experience their children growing up, they want to experience safety, prosperity," he said. "People are not that much different."
The FBI recommends a few ways to monitor any activity that could be considered threatening. To learn more, click here.