CAIR Report: Anti-Muslim Bias Incidents, Hate Crimes Spike in Second Quarter of 2018

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released an update on anti-Muslim incidents nationwide in the second quarter (April-June) of 2018.

CAIR's quarterly report indicates that anti-Muslim bias incidents and hate crimes are up 83 and 21 percent respectively, as compared to the first quarter of 2018. Incidents involving government agencies, including the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, have also risen by 60 percent in this time period.

For the second quarter of 2018, CAIR received 1006 reports of potential bias incidents, with 431 of these reports determined to contain an identifiable element of anti-Muslim bias.

READ the Full CAIR Quarterly Report on American Muslim Civil Rights:
https://tinyurl.com/CAIRQ2Report2018

The 2018 second quarter report records denial of religious accommodation as the number one type of bias incident. Many of these cases have occurred at an incarceration or detention facility, making this the number one location of anti-Muslim bias incidents in the second quarter of the year. This is the first time that detention facilities have been among the top five locations of bias incidents since CAIR has kept records of anti-Muslim discrimination.

"We believe the wrongful treatment of inmates and detainees is connected to the overall spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims and other minority communities since the election of Donald Trump as president," said Zainab Arain, coordinator in CAIR's Research and Advocacy Department.

[NOTE: Bias incidents are defined as cases in which there was an identifiable element of discrimination. Hate crimes are criminal offenses against persons or property, or incidents that can be charged as such under relevant state or federal statute.]

The most prevalent trigger of anti-Muslim bias incidents in 2018 remains the victim's ethnicity or national origin, accounting for 33 percent of the total.

For the 341 cases in which a victim's ethnicity or national origin was identified, the most frequent was "Middle Eastern/North African" at 39 percent. The second most common was "Black/African-American" at 17 percent. At 14 percent, "South Asian" was the third most commonly targeted ethnicity.

Seventeen percent of incidents occurred because of an individual being perceived as Muslim. A Muslim woman's head scarf (hijab) was a trigger in 16 percent of incidents.

The report dataset is drawn primarily from the intakes CAIR conducts each year. With each case, civil rights and legal staff seek to ensure the highest possible level of accuracy.

CAIR has reported an unprecedented spike in bigotry targeting American Muslims and members of other minority groups since the election of Donald Trump as president.

SEE: CAIR Welcomes Arrest of Suspect in Alleged Bias-Motivated Incidents Targeting Maryland Iraqi Refugee Family
https://www.cair.com/cair_welcomes_arrest_of_suspect_in_alleged_bias_motivated_incidents_targeting_maryland_iraqi_refugee_family 
CAIR: Florida Muslim Residents Face Uptick in Hate Crimes, Harassment
https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2018/07/12/bolder-bigotry-florida-muslim-residents-face-uptick-in-hate-crimes-harrassment/
CAIR-Sacramento: Hate Crimes in Sacramento County Have Increased By 66 Percent Since 2014
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/crime/article214661610.html
NYC Bus Rider's Tirade Against Muslim Woman Ends with an Immigration Threat
http://www.newsweek.com/bus-rider-mocks-muslim-womans-accent-and-tells-her-ice-coming-angry-rant-1020317

The Washington-based organization's recently-released 2018 Civil Rights Report, "Targeted," showed a 17 percent increase in bias-motivated incidents against American Muslims from 2016 to 2017, and a 15 percent increase in the number of anti-Muslim hate crimes in that same time period.

New CAIR Report: Trump's Muslim Bans Increased Anti-Muslim Discrimination, Violence

Community members are being urged to report any bias incidents to police and to CAIR's Civil Rights Department at 202-742-6420 or by filing a report at: http://www.cair.com/report    

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, 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.

CONTACT: CAIR Research and Advocacy Department Coordinator Zainab Arain, 202-742-6410, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected] 

SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

Related Links

http://www.cair.com

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