Unprecedented Rise in Islamophobic, Anti-Palestinian Bias in California
The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) announced this on Saturday.
From Oct. 8 to Nov. 8, 2023, CAIR-LA received 116 requests for help and reports of bias—a 300% increase in cases compared to the previous month. Of these intakes, 85 were for cases related to Palestine, with nearly 40% being hate crimes, hate incidents, or both.
Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian rhetoric has been on the rise across the country, as have hate incidents targeting Muslim and Arab communities—especially students and workers. Students have reported being harassed and bullied by classmates or teachers for being Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, or supporters of Palestine. Other community members have reported being verbally threatened and physically assaulted.
In a statement, CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said:
“We are currently witnessing an alarming escalation in both Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism nationwide, surpassing levels not seen in nearly a decade. In the past month alone, CAIR’s national headquarters and chapters received 1,283 complaints, marking a staggering 216 percent increase in requests for assistance and reports of bias.
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“The surge in bigotry can be directly linked to the pervasive Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian rhetoric used by news outlets, political leaders, and even school administrators. This rhetoric, employed to justify violence against Palestinians in Gaza and stifle advocates for Palestinian human rights in the United States, has created an unprecedented wave of discrimination.
“American Muslims are confronting the most substantial wave of Islamophobic bias since the announcement of the Muslim Ban in 2015. It is crucial for political leaders, corporations, media outlets, civic organizations, and others to collectively address and put an end to this surge in bigotry.”
In a statement, CAIR-LA Managing Attorney Dina Chehata, Esq. said:
“Nearly every day, we are getting calls from community members who have been affected in some way by the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian hate. Students have been harassed at school, workers have experienced retaliation, and people have been assaulted—simply for being Muslim, Arab, or for standing up for Palestinian human rights. This is not something that is happening just in California—it’s happening on a national scale.
“The hate and bigotry didn’t come out of nowhere. It’s a result of misinformation and anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric that’s been spread through news outlets, social media, and even by our politicians. Hate has been allowed to thrive for so long, and our communities are now suffering the consequences of that.”
Source: Cair.com
