Someone in a small Texas town hung a Valentine's Day message in Arabic from a town in the building earlier this week – but instead of spreading love, the banner set off a minor panic in the town.
Lubbock Mayor Glen Robertson requested an investigation by the United States Department of Homeland Security and the FBI after the sign was reported, according to local TV station KCBD .
Mr. Loomis, It has been brought to my attention that an Arabic flag has been hung from one of the upper floors of the Omni building. I am requesting that the flag be removed immediately, that we get an accurate translation of the flag, and that Chief Stevens notify the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and our Lubbock County Sheriff's Department. I am also requesting that we take whatever steps are necessary to secure the building and ensure that this does not happen again. I fully understand that we must gather more facts before we make a knee jerk reaction but I am concerned on several levels. Please keep me informed as we learn more about this situation.
Regards, Glen Robertson
It's understandable that the mayor didn't want to have a knee jerk reaction – the sign simply says "Love is for all," presumably a message for Valentine's Day.
While concerns were raised over the fact that the sign was erected by trespassers, a local resident who is from Syria assured the local TV station that the message was a common Arabic saying.
But that didn't calm the nerves of some residents.
"There's trespassing, you know," Lubbock resident Benjamin Wright told KCDB. "There's more to it than just what it says."
Somehow we think that Homeland Security wouldn't have been called if the sign were in English.