18 Church Websites Hacked With Pro-Islamic Messages

If you visited one of 18 church websites hosted by the internet company R Leisure Enterprises last week, you would have gotten an eyeful. That's because those churches -- stationed across the country -- were hacked by someone who posted messages touting Islam.

"It was unnerving, but I think also it was an indicator to me of the different world we live in," Rev. Vinnie Dauer of Fallen Timbers Community Church in Waterville, OH told the Taledo Blade. He received a text message from a member at about 6:30 pm last Tuesday telling him someone had posted "Muslim propaganda" on the site.

"No one could walk into this church building and put up propaganda that's contradictory to our belief system, but yet our Web site is a representation of who we are," the Rev. added.

According to Ryan Leisure, who owns the web hosting company and is also a member of Fallen Timbers church, said the motive seems clear.

"It seemed like he was clearly trying to convert people. I don't see how he could actually be successful with this, but he was talking about Christians converting to Islam," he told the Blade.

The Blade explains what exactly the hacker, who identified himself as Mr. HAil, did to the sites:

The hacker deleted the church Web sites and replaced them with a photograph of Mecca, a few paragraphs about Islam, and a list of 12 other Web sites purportedly containing more information about the faith. The postings didn't include any inflammatory language against Christians.

"It's a little alarming that just the churches were getting targeted by it," Leisure said. "The churches that did contact me were panicking a little bit."

Leisure said he immediately contacted the FBI and they told him to fill out a form online to file a complaint.

"I can't confirm we've opened a case, but certainly if he made that complaint they'll review it and take whatever action they deem appropriate," Special Agent Scott Wilson, a spokesman for the FBI in Cleveland, told the Blade.

However, WUPW-TV confirmed Wednesday that an FBI investigation is underway:

The attack has sparked outrage within the local Muslim community. WUPW says the Muslims are upset that someone would attack another faith and use Islam to do it.

"As Muslims, as Americans, as citizens-- we strongly condemn any attack upon the rights and property and the dignity of other people," Shamsuddin Waheed, treasurer of United Muslim Association of Toledo (UMAT), told the outlet.

"What is secondarily disturbing is somebody dared to use Islamic information to hack the website of a church, which is uncalled for," added Dr. Zaheer Hasan, also a member of the local group.

Leisure said he's been able to restore most of the churches' data and has changed all the passwords.