The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) today welcomed the release of California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s 2025 Annual Hate Crime Report, which showed a 58% increase in anti-Muslim hate statewide compared to the previous year.
SEE: Attorney General Bonta Releases 2025 Hate Crime Report, Calls for Renewed Commitment to Combat Hate Across California
The Attorney General’s annual report compiles hate crimes reported to law enforcement agencies statewide. According to the 2025 data, hate crime events and hate crimes involving religious bias in California overall decreased from 2024. However, anti-Islamic (Muslim) bias events rose from 24 in 2024 to 38 in 2025, according to the report.
These findings are consistent with CAIR’s internal reporting. CAIR’s most recent civil rights report reveals that complaints of anti-Muslim bias and discrimination across the nation are at an all-time high. In 2025, the organization received the highest number of single-year complaints ever recorded since its first civil rights report was published in 1996. In California, CAIR-CA’s offices received 119 hate crime and hate incident reports in 2025.
The Attorney General’s report shows that crimes involving racial bias also rose in 2025, with anti-Black bias events increasing by 2.8% and anti-Hispanic/Latino bias events increasing by 30.3%.
In a statement, CAIR-CA CEO Hussam Ayloush said:
“The findings from Attorney General Bonta’s 2025 Hate Crime Report mirror the alarming increase and persistence in hate and bias targeting the Muslim community that has been reported to our offices statewide over the past year. This rise in hate can be directly attributed to the Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian rhetoric perpetuated by elected officials, media outlets, and extremists online that has become normalized and politically rewarded in the U.S.
“At the same time, we know that hate crimes and hate incidents are underreported, and these numbers do not fully capture the extent of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate our community faces. Many individuals do not feel safe going to law enforcement, whether out of fear, past negative experiences, or distrust of the system. Much more work needs to be done to address hate against vulnerable communities in California, starting with the commitment from our elected officials to the safety and well-being of their Muslim, Black, Latino, and other diverse constituents.”
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 any bias incidents to your local CAIR-CA office, click here.
CAIR-CA is the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties 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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CONTACT: CAIR Greater Los Angeles Area Communications Manager Enjy El-Kadi, (714) 851-4851 or eelkadi@cair.com; CAIR Sacramento Valley/Central California Senior Operations & Development Manager Elle Dunlap, edunlap@cair.com; CAIR San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam, (760) 201-7626, tnizam@cair.com; CAIR San Francisco Bay Area Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, (408) 498-5779 or ladam@cair.com