Elham Asaad Buaras
Hate crimes targeting Muslims and Palestinians have surged by an alarming 196 per cent in Chicago since October 7, according to the largest Muslim advocacy group in the US.
Maggie Slavin, operations manager at the Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), highlighted a growing number of incidents occurring in workplaces, schools, and public spaces. Many individuals are facing repercussions for voicing their support for Palestine. While some police departments have shown cooperation, Slavin noted that their overall response to the spike in hate crimes remains “uncertain,” with some cases requiring persistent follow-up.
CAIR highlights a significant increase in federal surveillance, drawing comparisons to the heightened monitoring that followed the 9/11 attacks. The organisation reports receiving “numerous calls about inappropriate interactions from the FBI or federal authorities,” characterising the situation as resembling “a witch hunt.”
Furthermore, CAIR notes that the Muslim-American community is contending with “strict censorship,” with individuals facing repercussions for expressing support for Palestine in both workplace and educational environments.
CAIR-Chicago recently called for a hate crime investigation after shots were allegedly fired at Redzovic Jiu Jitsu, a Muslim-owned martial arts school in Lincoln Square. According to Slavin, the Chicago Police Department initially refused to classify the incident as a hate crime.
Incidents in Chicago are part of a larger national trend, with CAIR reporting a 70 per cent rise in anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents in the US.
During the first half of 2024, coinciding with Israel’s war on Gaza, the organisation logged nearly 5,000 complaints, including the tragic stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American child in Illinois. Most reports involved immigration and asylum issues, workplace and educational discrimination, and hate crimes.
