ISIS Flag Flap: Man 'Expressing My Religion' Sets Town on Edge

A photo of a New Jersey home flying a flag that resembled the flag of ISIS, the militant group being bombed by U.S. planes in Iraq, sparked alarm and a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security -- but the home's occupant said he meant no offense and was just expressing his religion.

Mark Dunaway told ABC News that he's flown that black flag for the 10 years hes lived in Garwood, New Jersey.

Im Muslim, and I fly a flag in front of my home that says Im a Muslim, he said.

Dunaway has flown the black flag -- which bears the Arabic inscription familiar to Muslims, There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God -- every year during Ramadan, and every single Friday, he said. Having already had the flag up during Ramadan, he originally planned to keep it up until Friday.

However, after the Garwood Police Department received a complaint about the flag, officers visited Dunaway's home on Tuesday.

"The Garwood Police follow up with any complaint received," Police Chief Bruce Underhill said in a statement to ABC News.

Police came by that day on a matter of safety, Dunaway said, I had no idea until they pointed it out to me. My reaction was, Are you serious?

"Mr. Dunaway was very receptive when we approached him with our concerns and he voluntarily took the flag down," said Chief Underhill.

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ISIS Flag Flap: Man 'Expressing My Religion' Sets Town on Edge