The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the release of California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s 2024 Annual Hate Crime Report, while emphasizing that the report significantly underrepresents the extent of Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian hate impacting communities across the state.
SEE: Hate Crime in California 2024
The Attorney General’s annual report compiles hate crimes reported to law enforcement agencies statewide. According to the 2024 data, anti-Islamic (Muslim) bias events fell from 40 in 2023 to 24 in 2024.
By contrast, CAIR-CA’s internal reporting shows 154 incidents of anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Arab hate across California in 2024, up slightly from 150 in 2023. These figures point to a persistent and troubling gap between what communities are experiencing and what is captured in law enforcement data.
In a statement, CAIR-CA Legislative and Government Affairs Director Oussama Mokeddem said:
“The Attorney General’s report is an important tool; however, it does not reflect the full reality on the ground for many of our clients and community members. At CAIR-CA, we continue to hear from individuals facing threats, harassment, and discrimination due to their Muslim faith, their Palestinian identity, or their support for Palestinian rights. Many of these individuals do not feel safe going to law enforcement, whether out of fear, past negative experiences, or distrust of the system.
“As the genocide in Gaza continues and public discourse becomes increasingly dehumanizing, we’ve seen a sharp rise in Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian hate. We need more than just better reporting. We need proactive leadership, stronger protections, and a deep commitment to justice for all Californians.”
Since October 7, 2023, CAIR-CA has documented a surge in civil rights complaints, including hate incidents, threats, intimidation, and doxxing. Many reports involve discrimination in schools, workplaces, and housing based on religion, ethnicity, or political expression related to Palestine.
Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2025 Civil Rights Report “Unconstitutional Crackdowns,” which reveals that Islamophobia continues to be at an all-time high across the country. CAIR said viewpoint discrimination against those speaking out against genocide and apartheid was a key factor in many cases.
CAIR-CA urges community members to report all hate crimes and incidents, even if they are not seeking legal action. Doing so helps build an accurate picture of the harm communities are facing and strengthens advocacy efforts to create systemic change.
To report an incident, visit bit.ly/cairreporthate.
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACTS: CAIR Greater Los Angeles Area Digital Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, 714.851.4851, eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Communications Contact Tasneem Manjra, 916.441.6469, tManjra@cair.com; CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam, 760.201.7626, tnizam@cair.com; CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, ladam@cair.com