Anti-Arab, Muslim hate crimes in Chicago rise by almost 200 percent since 7 October: CAIR

Hate crimes against Muslims and Palestinians in Chicago have risen by 196 percent since 7 October, according to a US Muslim group.

Speaking to Anadolu, an official at the Council on American-Islamic Relations' Chicago branch (CAIR) said the growing number is "raising concerns".

Maggie Slavin, operations manager at CAIR-Chicago, said incidents are happening in places of work, schools and public spaces, with many facing consequences for expressing their pro-Palestine views.

While some police departments have been cooperative, Slavin says their response to the increase in hate crimes is "uncertain", and some require persistent chase-ups.

Slavin also notes the rise in federal surveillance, comparing the current atmosphere after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

She says they have received "a lot of calls about inappropriate interactions from the FBI or from federal authorities", feeling like "a witch-hunt".

The manager also notes the Muslim-American community is facing "tight" censorship", being punished for expressing Palestine support at the workplace or facing sanctions at schools.

CAIR-Chicago called for a hate crime probe after shots were reportedly fired at Redzovic Jiu Jitsu, a Muslim-owned martial arts school in Lincoln Square.

Slavin said the Chicago Police Department initially declined to classify the incident as a hate crime.

CAIR reported a 70 percent increase in the United States in the first half of 2024 amid Israel's war on Gaza.

The organisation received almost 5,000 complaints of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents, including the stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian-American child in Illinois.

Most of the complaints were in the categories of immigration and asylum, employment discrimination, education discrimination, and hate crimes.