Over 700 Islamophobic, Racist Incidents Reported in US in a Week
The Southern Poverty Law Center has published research on hate crimes covering a week after Trump was elected as US president. The report also noted that there were numerous verbal harassment or intimidation cases targeting Muslims, politicians, Jews and some other ethnic and religious backgrounds.
The US Justice Department has investigated whether recent reports of intimidation and harassment, including in schools and at churches, violate federal hate crime and other civil rights laws.
"Many Americans are concerned by a spate of recent news reports about alleged hate crimes and harassment," US Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Friday in a videotaped statement. "The FBI is assessing, in conjunction with federal prosecutors, whether particular incidents constitute violations of federal law."
Civil rights groups have signaled alarm over attacks they say have targeted minorities, including Muslim, black and Hispanic Americans, since Republican Donald Trump won the presidential election on Nov. 8. There have also been reports of harassment toward Trump supporters.
Federal hate crime laws increase the penalties for criminal behavior that is motivated by bias against the victim based on race, religion, gender, ethnicity or other protected classifications.
Last week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released annual crime statistics for 2015 showing a 67 percent increase from the previous year in hate crimes against Muslims, a report that Lynch called "deeply sobering" on Friday.
During the campaign, Trump proposed temporarily keeping Muslims from entering the country to protect national security, though he has since backed away from a total ban.
The wealthy businessman and former reality television star has called for unity since the election. In a televised interview, Trump told people to stop engaging in attacks and intimidation.
Source: Daily Sabah
