Level of hate crimes against U.S. Muslims highest since after Sept. 11

WASHINGTON — Hate crimes against American Muslims have soared to their highest levels since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, according to data compiled by researchers, an increase apparently fueled by terrorist attacks in the United States and abroad and by divisive language on the campaign trail.

Hawzah News Agency-The trend has alarmed hate crime scholars and law-enforcement officials, who have documented hundreds of attacks — including arsons, assaults, shootings and threats of violence — since the beginning of 2015.

While the most current hate crime statistics from the FBI are not expected until November, new data from researchers at California State University, San Bernardino, found that hate crimes against American Muslims were up 78 percent over the course of 2015. Attacks on those perceived as Arabic rose even more sharply.

Some scholars believe that the violent backlash against American Muslims is driven not only by the string of terrorist attacks in Europe and the United States that began early last year, but also by the political vitriol from candidates like Donald Trump, who has called for a ban on immigration by Muslims.

"We're seeing these stereotypes and derogative statements become part of the political discourse," said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the San Bernardino campus.

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