The chain email said that over 200 years ago, the United States had declared war on Islam, and Thomas Jefferson led the charge! The Barbary powers were Muslim, and religion sometimes crops up in the historical record.
You need to use Form 1040X, along with a new Form 1040, plus any other necessary schedules and forms. Amended tax returns have to be mailed to the IRS on paper for manual processing. The IRS typically processes an amended return about 8 to 12 weeks, but this process can take longer during the IRS's busiest times.
The individual tax return you filed for a refund this year (or the last six months of last year) can be accessed through Where's My Refund?. You can check on the status of your refund 24 hours after you e-file. If you filed a paper return, please allow 4 weeks before checking on the status. Information regarding refunds for Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return is not available. Amended/corrected returns are processed as quickly as possible. However, it may take 8 to 12 weeks or longer to process the return.