American muslims face 'unprecedented' backlash in wake of Paris attacks
US News
American muslims face ‘unprecedented’ backlash in wake of Paris attacks
Acts of vandalism against mosques, anti-Muslim threats and fear have reached an unprecedented level in America since the Paris attacks, fueled by right-wing intolerance in the presidential campaign, activists say. Since November 13, the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the country’s largest Muslim civil liberties group, has documented dozens of anti-Muslim incidents, including shots fired at the Meriden mosque in Connecticut, vandalism at an Islamic center in Pflugerville, Texas, where the door was smeared with excrement, and graffiti at an Islamic center in Omaha, Neb.
In such a short period — it’s what makes it unprecedented.
Ibrahim Hooper, CAIR spokesman
Activists say the anti-Muslim rhetoric is being fueled by extreme-right discourse by Republicans in the election campaign. Donald Trump has stuck to his claim that Arab people in Jersey City celebrated the fall of the twin towers on 9/11. Half the nation’s governors have declared Syrian refugees personae non gratae, and last week the House of Representatives voted to suspend Syrian and Iraqi refugee arrivals until a stricter vetting process is in place. Ben Carson compared Syrian refugees to rabid dogs. Imam Shamsi Ali, director of the Jamaica Muslim Center in Queens, New York, said the Paris attacks had a “very negative impact” on the Muslim community, particularly in campaign season.
Muslims are worried. This kind of rhetoric is not American. This country respects the right of everybody to live and practice their religion. This country embraces immigrants. Our loyalty to this country is not less than anybody else.
Imam Shamsi Ali
