CAIR, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, typically publishes an annual report tracking hate crimes and bias incidents. The organization decided to release a mid-year “snapshot report” because of a spike in May and June, Robert McCaw, CAIR’s government affairs director, told CNN.
The report is based on incidents directly reported to CAIR’s national office and chapters across the United States, as well as the media.
“This report serves as a reminder of the severe nature of Islamophobia and what needs to be done to combat it in the United States and around the world,” Huzaifa Shahbaz, CAIR’s national research and advocacy coordinator, told CNN.
CAIR documented a spike in anti-Muslim incidents in May and June, including four at mosques in May alone. Those cases involved vandalism, harassment towards women who wear hijab or headscarf and an attempted stabbing, Shahbaz said.
The spike coincided with renewed violence in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire that began on May 21, but it has been fraught with tension and violence.
Although the report primarily focused on the US, it also included a section highlighting incidents in Canada, where CAIR said there has been a notable increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes.
CAIR said it documented 11 “serious reports” of violent crimes directed at Muslims in Canada during the first seven months of the year, the majority of which took place after the ramming attack.
The report concluded with a series of recommendations “to reverse this disturbing trend” of increased anti-Muslim crimes and bias incidents. Among them is a call for President Joe Biden to condemn incidents when they occur, and aggressive federal prosecution when local law enforcement fails to act.
“It’s time for our elected officials to speak up and out against anti-Muslim bias in the US, as well as the global phenomenon of Islamophobia that threats Muslims not only in the US but around the world,” McCaw said.