Elham Asaad Buaras
There was an “appalling” surge in reported anti-Arab and anti-Muslim incidents in October since violence escalated in the Middle East, announced the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on November 9.
CAIR said it has received 1,283 requests for help and reports of bias in the month since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The organisation said in 2022 it received an average of 406 complaints in a 29-day period.
CAIR said the data reflects a 216% increase in requests for help and reported bias incidents compared to the previous year, the largest wave of Islamophobic and anti-Arab bias CAIR has recorded since then-candidate Donald Trump called for a Muslim ban in 2015.
“The Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian rhetoric used to both justify violence against Palestinians in Gaza and silence supporters of Palestinian human rights here in America has contributed to this unprecedented surge in bigotry,” said Corey Saylor, director of research and advocacy at CAIR.
The latest data contrasts sharply with CAIR’s cautiously optimistic view earlier this year when it published a report claiming that 2022 would be the first time the US saw a drop in anti-Muslim incidents since it began documenting such incidents in the 1990s.
“One year of declining cases is not a problem solved; it’s a glimmer of hope,” the organisation said in the April report. “Securing future declines has never been more urgent.”
However, as Saylor said, the violence in Israel and Gaza is contributing to an “unprecedented surge in bigotry” in the US. CAIR called on President Joe Biden to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
All Americans, including “political leaders, corporations, media outlets, and civic organisations,” have a role to play in combating the increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric, Saylor said.
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