Attacks on Muslims in America Today Exceed Earlier Post-9/11 Levels
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)
According to Pew Research (PR), “assaults against Muslims in the United States rose significantly between 2015 and 2016, easily surpassing the modern peak reached in 2001…”
In 2001, FBI data showed 93 assaults on Muslims. In 2016, it was 127. Incidents ranged from simple to aggravated assault.
Other hate crimes were committed against Muslims and other religious groups, most commonly intimidation. PR defined it as “reasonable fear of bodily harm.”
Anti-Muslim intimidation increased last year, 144 reported incidents, likely many more not reported. In 2001, 296 incidents were reported.
Anti-Muslim vandalism also occurred - 70 incidents in 2015, 92 last year.
In 2016, 307 anti-Muslim hate crimes occurred, 19% more than in 2015. Most Muslims when interviewed say they face discriminatory practices - 75% in a PR survey saying “a lot.”
Half of Muslims said it’s hard being Islamic in America because of “discrimination, racism and prejudice.”
One-fourth of Muslims surveyed called discrimination the most important issue facing them today in America.
PR explained that “(t)he FBI collects hate crime data from about 15,000 law enforcement agencies that voluntarily participate, which means the annual statistics likely undercount the number of hate crimes in a given year.”
“Still, the report is a useful tool for comparing hate crimes over time and tracking the minimum number of these crimes that have occurred in a given year.”
After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Muslims became Washington’s enemy of choice, dramatically intensified post-9/11, further heightened after Trump took office.
His anti-Muslim hostility rages, including escalated wars on predominantly Muslim nations, his extreme hostility toward Iran, along with his politically-motivated travel ban - suspending entry into America from designated Muslim nations.
His immigration agenda is deplorably racist, targeting Muslims and Latinos - Anglo-Zionists warmly welcomed.
Assaults, vandalism and other crimes against Muslims and people of color reveal the empowerment of hate in America.
Racism and Islamophobia rage, persecuting, vilifying and otherwise harming individuals for their faith, ethnicity and country of origin - a national disgrace, an unaddressed major issue.
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