Electroimpact founder Peter Zieve, who had sent anonymous postcards warning about plans to build a mosque in Mukilteo, apologized for having “offended and hurt” his neighbors and said he “will make no further efforts to oppose” it.
An aerospace entrepreneur who anonymously sent Mukilteo residents postcards about plans for a local mosque says he will no longer fight the project.
In a statement, Electroimpact founder and President Peter Zieve said last week he was “saddened” to hear that the postcards had “offended and hurt” his neighbors and their families, adding “that was not my intent.”
“I sincerely apologize for those actions, in particular to my Muslim neighbors. They can be assured that I will make no further efforts to oppose construction of the proposed mosque.”
It seems a change of heart for Zieve, who was accused of Islamophobia as it became clear that he was behind the postcards. The group that’s trying to build the mosque had called for a boycott of Electroimpact, a key supplier to aircraft makers Boeing and Airbus.
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The businessman for some time has sent fiery political commentary to his company’s employees, some of whom say were turned off by views they considered anti-Muslim or bigoted.
Zieve started a “mosque watch group” of employees and local residents that met periodically on the company’s Mukilteo campus, according to employees and emails from Zieve publicizing the meetings.
Zieve’s lengthy mea culpa was released last week after a meeting between Zieve and local Muslim families and activists at a local church.
At the meeting, Zieve said he was given “the opportunity to think about how my comments could play into the hands of people who would engage in hate speech.”