| Home > Resources > Leadership > Executive Summary > Case Studies Case Study 2001, Muslim Americans Face Hate Crimes in Wake of September 11 During times of crisis, people understandably want to protect themselves and to feel in control of their circumstances. A common way of coping with uncertainty is to blame others. Individuals and groups who are blamed, however, often belong to racial, ethnic, or social groups for which there are other preexisting prejudices. In the aftermath of September 11, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S.: "religious and ethnic features of Muslim life or Muslim religious and political views [are] set apart from what is considered normal and acceptable." According to FBI statistics, anti-Muslim crimes increased seventeenfold during 2001.
References
Council on American-Islamic Relations. The Status of Muslim Civil Rights in the United States, 2002. Washington, DC, 2002. Human Rights Watch. "We are not the enemy": hate crimes against Arabs, Muslims, and those perceived to be Arab or Muslim after September 11. United States 2002; 14(6[G]):3. |
