Number of complaints is the largest wave of complaints CAIR has received in a similar time period since then-candidate Donald Trump first announced his desire to implement a Muslim ban
(WASHINGTON, DC, 10/25/2023) – The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today said it has received 774 complaints, including reported bias incidents, since the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine on Oct. 7.
CAIR National Headquarters received 110 of these reports between Oct.7 and Oct. 24. For comparison, headquarters received a total of 63 intakes in the entire month of August, demonstrating a clear increase in reports brought to the national level. CAIR’s data also reflects requests for help and reported incidents across many of its chapters nationwide.
CAIR believes the number of complaints is the largest wave of complaints it has seen since December 2015, after Donald Trump declared his intent to ban Muslims from the U.S.
However, Washington, D.C.-based CAIR says the numbers likely do not represent all cases nationwide. Those targeted by hate and discrimination are often fearful of reporting due to potential backlash. In its 2021 report “Islamophobia through the Eyes of Muslims” UC Berkeley’s Other and Belonging Center found that 85 percent of Muslims who have been a victim of a hate crime do not report it.
[NOTE: Palestine Legal reports that they have responded to “over 260 such incidents” of people having their “livelihoods and careers” being targeted for speaking up on behalf of Palestinian humanity.]
In the last few weeks, CAIR has documented a number of shocking incidents, including the murder of a six-year-old Palestinian child by his landlord in Illinois. Additionally, a man allegedly threatened to shoot two Muslim men in Illinois, a gunman reportedly shot through a Palestinian family home in Colorado, a city council member was arrested for carrying a gun at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York, and police arrested a man who wanted others to join him in hunting Palestinians in Michigan.
The organization has also documented several instances of vehicles being used as weapons targeting pro-Palestinian demonstrators. A man reportedly drove his truck through and brandished weapons against pro-Palestine protestors in Minnesota, a driver allegedly swerved into pro-Palestine demonstrators and hit a demonstrator on a bicycle in Ohio, and a man reportedly blocked a group of pro-Palestine protestors with his vehicle and then shot at them with a splatter ball gun in Oregon. In New Jersey, a man also reportedly drove into a school parking lot and yelled death threats at parents.
“Anyone with a conscience should be deeply concerned by this sudden rise in complaints amid an atmosphere of rampant anti-Muslim bigotry and anti-Palestinian racism,” said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor. “Public officials should do everything in their power to keep the wave of hate sweeping the nation right now from spiraling out of control. That includes bringing the horrific violence overseas to an end before it endangers more innocent people there and here at home. ”
Saylor noted that President Bush’s visit to a mosque after 9/11 had a calming effect on backlash against innocent people and called on President Biden to meeting with Americans who have lost family members in the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.
Among these reports of assault, intimidation, and harassment, CAIR also notes two patterns unique to this cycle of hate:
Targeting of Students. Students were doxed by a digital truck in New England and, in mass, on a Google Sheet that contained names and personal information. Some corporate leaders have explicitly sought to stifle any condemnation of Israeli attacks on Gaza, specifically targeting student activists at universities. Some also sought to silence students by speaking to their university’s administration, while others have used their public platforms to threaten students’ career prospects.
Corporate involvement. A number of corporations including Amazon and Google initially issued one-sided statements that neglected to mention the ongoing crisis in Palestine caused by Israeli bombings. This likely violated corporate diversity, equity and inclusion policies, given that it ignored many employees who are Arab and/or Muslim or who support Palestinian humanity.
SEE: U.S. Corporate Leaders Promote Anti-Arab, Islamophobic Bias
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 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