- October 25, 2023
Jews, Palestinians, and Muslims in US alarmed by escalating hatred and bigotry – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Communities in the United States are feeling a strong sense of fear and tension due to recent violent incidents linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Some are drawing parallels between the current situation and the atmosphere experienced in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, reported CNN.
“Every one of us feels unsafe,” said Zein Rimawi, founder and member of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridgein south Brooklyn, New York, where three young men were attacked by a small pro-Israel cadre only days after the war started.“It’s worse than after 9/11.”
The neighborhood activist, speaking to CNN, mentioned that he was living in Bay Ridge during the 2001 terrorist attacks. He recalled feeling scared at that time but also noted that he felt protected by political leaders because they defended American Muslims from discrimination.
Regarding the reference to the Israel-Hamas conflict, it’s important to clarify that there may be discrepancies in the number of casualties and events reported by different sources. The situation is complex, and numbers and details can vary.
The events in the Middle East have had a ripple effect on major cities like New York. Advocates and community leaders are reporting a surge in hate-inspired incidents, with Jews, Palestinians, Muslims, and other groups being targeted in the aftermath of the initial attacks. Shockingly, in some cases, individuals have been singled out simply because they appeared to belong to one of these groups.
It’s crucial to note that New York City is home to one of the largest Jewish populations outside of Israel and also boasts one of the country’s most substantial Muslim populations. After the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, FBI data showed that anti-Muslim motivated crimes became the second highest reported among religious-bias incidents, with anti-Jewish religion incidents being the highest.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) documented over 1,200 antisemitic incidents in the United States up to May 2023, following a previous record high in 2022. Since the recent conflict involving Hamas’ attack in Israel, there has been an increase in antisemitic images and rhetoric. Nationally, the ADL has reported a 54% rise in antisemitic incidents compared to the same period last year, with 168 incidents occurring between October 7 and October 19.
However, it’s essential to understand that the reported numbers only provide a partial picture of the situation. An incident occurred on October 11 in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood, known for its sizable Palestinian community. In this incident, a group of men, some of whom were carrying an Israeli flag, confronted three men on the street. They asked if these individuals were Palestinian and shouted offensive remarks such as “F**k Palestine, F**k Islam,” as detailed in a criminal complaint.
Regrettably, one of the victims needed medical attention following the attack, as mentioned in the complaint. Two of the attackers have been charged with assault and menacing as a hate crime, while four others remain at large, according to the complaint.
On that very same day, a 19-year-old individual assaulted a 24-year-old student from Columbia University. The student was in the process of putting up posters containing information about Israeli casualties, as reported in the criminal complaint and local news. The 19-year-old forcefully removed the posters and used offensive language toward the student before physically striking them with a broomstick. Consequently, the 19-year-old faced charges of assault as a hate crime, along with other related charges, as outlined in the complaint.
Then, on October 14, a 29-year-old woman experienced a troubling incident in the Grand Central subway station in Midtown Manhattan. The woman was punched in the face, and when she inquired why she was attacked, her assailant responded with “because you’re Jewish,” as per police reports. Subsequently, a 28-year-old man was arrested later in the week and faced charges of a hate crime and aggravated assault.
A 6-year-old boy was tragically stabbed to death, and his mother suffered severe injuries in Plainfield Township, Illinois, near Chicago. The suspect, a 71-year-old who was their landlord, is believed to have targeted them due to their Muslim identity, in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East involving Hamas and the Israelis. The suspect has been charged with murder and hate crimes, among other charges.
But while the numbers of reported incidents tick up, advocates say there are scores of others that never reach law enforcement.
“Who are you going to tell when somebody comes up to you and screams, ‘Free Palestine,’ at you?” said Richman, of the ADL. “Or there’s a swastika that’s been painted at your school? All kinds of incidents have been reported to us.”
Richman expressed that his office is facing significant challenges in managing the substantial increase in cases. He also anticipates that the number of incidents, both at the local and national levels, could rise further if Israeli ground troops become involved in Gaza.
“We know from experience that when there is a flare up in the Israel-Palestine, Israel-Hamas conflict, we see Jews are targeted in this country, in other countries, essentially being blamed for the actions of the Israeli government or the Israeli military,” Richman said. “Nobody knows where anybody stands but people make assumptions because they are Jewish and then want to take out their anger on the Jewish community.”
According to CNN report, Ahmed Rehab, who serves as the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Chicago office, mentioned that his office usually receives four to six complaints a week from people who report being victims of mistreatment or bullying. However, since the beginning of the conflict just over two weeks ago, they’ve received a striking 86 complaints.
“My phone has been ringing off the hook,” said Rehab, who added he believes the current situation is much worse now than it was after 9/11. Not only are people scared, Rehab says, but now, no one seems to want to hear from Muslim Americans.
“Palestinians are essentially dehumanized and there has been a conclusion that they deserve what’s coming to them because of what’s happened in Israel,” said Rehab. “There isn’t much appetite for the nuance that’s needed to have the discussion of the value of human life and of a civilian life.”
Rehab, who was employed at a major accounting firm in Chicago during the 9/11 events, vividly recalls how his family and friends suffered from hate crimes in the aftermath of those attacks. He emphasized that individuals who are victims of bias incidents frequently choose not to report these crimes due to a mix of factors, including feeling that doing so may not lead to any meaningful change.
“There’s a lot of ‘toughen up,’ especially in our culture,” Rehab said. “There’s also a sense of, ‘I don’t want to appear weak’ or a sense of hopelessness that nothing will be done or can be done about it. Or there’s a sense of bureaucracy. ‘We’ve done this before,’ and it just fizzles into bureaucracy.”
(via CNN report)
“Every one of us feels unsafe,” said Zein Rimawi, founder and member of the Islamic Society of Bay Ridgein south Brooklyn, New York, where three young men were attacked by a small pro-Israel cadre only days after the war started.“It’s worse than after 9/11.”
The neighborhood activist, speaking to CNN, mentioned that he was living in Bay Ridge during the 2001 terrorist attacks. He recalled feeling scared at that time but also noted that he felt protected by political leaders because they defended American Muslims from discrimination.
Regarding the reference to the Israel-Hamas conflict, it’s important to clarify that there may be discrepancies in the number of casualties and events reported by different sources. The situation is complex, and numbers and details can vary.
The events in the Middle East have had a ripple effect on major cities like New York. Advocates and community leaders are reporting a surge in hate-inspired incidents, with Jews, Palestinians, Muslims, and other groups being targeted in the aftermath of the initial attacks. Shockingly, in some cases, individuals have been singled out simply because they appeared to belong to one of these groups.
It’s crucial to note that New York City is home to one of the largest Jewish populations outside of Israel and also boasts one of the country’s most substantial Muslim populations. After the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, FBI data showed that anti-Muslim motivated crimes became the second highest reported among religious-bias incidents, with anti-Jewish religion incidents being the highest.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) documented over 1,200 antisemitic incidents in the United States up to May 2023, following a previous record high in 2022. Since the recent conflict involving Hamas’ attack in Israel, there has been an increase in antisemitic images and rhetoric. Nationally, the ADL has reported a 54% rise in antisemitic incidents compared to the same period last year, with 168 incidents occurring between October 7 and October 19.
However, it’s essential to understand that the reported numbers only provide a partial picture of the situation. An incident occurred on October 11 in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood, known for its sizable Palestinian community. In this incident, a group of men, some of whom were carrying an Israeli flag, confronted three men on the street. They asked if these individuals were Palestinian and shouted offensive remarks such as “F**k Palestine, F**k Islam,” as detailed in a criminal complaint.
Regrettably, one of the victims needed medical attention following the attack, as mentioned in the complaint. Two of the attackers have been charged with assault and menacing as a hate crime, while four others remain at large, according to the complaint.
On that very same day, a 19-year-old individual assaulted a 24-year-old student from Columbia University. The student was in the process of putting up posters containing information about Israeli casualties, as reported in the criminal complaint and local news. The 19-year-old forcefully removed the posters and used offensive language toward the student before physically striking them with a broomstick. Consequently, the 19-year-old faced charges of assault as a hate crime, along with other related charges, as outlined in the complaint.
Then, on October 14, a 29-year-old woman experienced a troubling incident in the Grand Central subway station in Midtown Manhattan. The woman was punched in the face, and when she inquired why she was attacked, her assailant responded with “because you’re Jewish,” as per police reports. Subsequently, a 28-year-old man was arrested later in the week and faced charges of a hate crime and aggravated assault.
A 6-year-old boy was tragically stabbed to death, and his mother suffered severe injuries in Plainfield Township, Illinois, near Chicago. The suspect, a 71-year-old who was their landlord, is believed to have targeted them due to their Muslim identity, in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East involving Hamas and the Israelis. The suspect has been charged with murder and hate crimes, among other charges.
But while the numbers of reported incidents tick up, advocates say there are scores of others that never reach law enforcement.
“Who are you going to tell when somebody comes up to you and screams, ‘Free Palestine,’ at you?” said Richman, of the ADL. “Or there’s a swastika that’s been painted at your school? All kinds of incidents have been reported to us.”
Richman expressed that his office is facing significant challenges in managing the substantial increase in cases. He also anticipates that the number of incidents, both at the local and national levels, could rise further if Israeli ground troops become involved in Gaza.
“We know from experience that when there is a flare up in the Israel-Palestine, Israel-Hamas conflict, we see Jews are targeted in this country, in other countries, essentially being blamed for the actions of the Israeli government or the Israeli military,” Richman said. “Nobody knows where anybody stands but people make assumptions because they are Jewish and then want to take out their anger on the Jewish community.”
According to CNN report, Ahmed Rehab, who serves as the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Chicago office, mentioned that his office usually receives four to six complaints a week from people who report being victims of mistreatment or bullying. However, since the beginning of the conflict just over two weeks ago, they’ve received a striking 86 complaints.
“My phone has been ringing off the hook,” said Rehab, who added he believes the current situation is much worse now than it was after 9/11. Not only are people scared, Rehab says, but now, no one seems to want to hear from Muslim Americans.
“Palestinians are essentially dehumanized and there has been a conclusion that they deserve what’s coming to them because of what’s happened in Israel,” said Rehab. “There isn’t much appetite for the nuance that’s needed to have the discussion of the value of human life and of a civilian life.”
Rehab, who was employed at a major accounting firm in Chicago during the 9/11 events, vividly recalls how his family and friends suffered from hate crimes in the aftermath of those attacks. He emphasized that individuals who are victims of bias incidents frequently choose not to report these crimes due to a mix of factors, including feeling that doing so may not lead to any meaningful change.
“There’s a lot of ‘toughen up,’ especially in our culture,” Rehab said. “There’s also a sense of, ‘I don’t want to appear weak’ or a sense of hopelessness that nothing will be done or can be done about it. Or there’s a sense of bureaucracy. ‘We’ve done this before,’ and it just fizzles into bureaucracy.”
(via CNN report)
