(BALTIMORE, MD, 11/15/2023) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today announced that it has received 114 complaints, including hate bias incidents, between Oct. 9 to Nov. 9 following the escalation of violence in the Middle East on Oct. 7.
The nature of complaints and incidents include: 1) smears, hateful comments and slurs on social media, 2) school-based bullying and harassment, 3) doxxing threats against students expressing support for Palestinian human rights, 4) chilling of free speech and alleged retaliation at schools, universities/colleges and places of employment for pro-Palestine advocacy, 5) complaints about biased, one-sided statements about Israel/Palestine, 6) alleged discrimination at restaurants/businesses, 7) hostile incidents at mosques and 8) visits or questioning by law enforcement officers.
In a statement, CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“We are deeply concerned by the increase in attacks targeting our community. This staggering rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry has been enabled by the widespread dehumanization of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims by elected officials and mainstream media. It is even more disturbing when considering that American Muslims have been found to report incidents like this at a lower rate than other groups, so the actual number of incidents is likely even higher.”
Chaudry urged all community members to report any incidents of bias they experience.
Report an Incident in Maryland
She noted that CAIR’s Maryland office recorded 89 complaints, including hate bias incidents, and requests for assistance between Oct. 9 to Oct. 24.
SEE: CAIR Issues Maryland Community Advisory After Sharp Rise in Complaints, Bias Incidents Against Muslims, Arabs Following 10/7
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, 410-971-6062, zchaudry@cair.com; CAIR National Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor, 202-384-8857, csaylor@cair.com; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-999-8292, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com