(SEATTLE, WA, 12/18/19) – CAIR Washington, the Washington state chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today released its annual Civil Rights Report for 2018. The report summarizes CAIR Washington’s civil rights and advocacy work from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018.
Highlights include:
HATE CRIMES INCREASE: Hate crimes and hate incidents have been on the rise both locally and nationally. The percentage of cases reported to CAIR Washington that involved hate crimes and hate incidents increased slightly; from 12% in 2017 to 15.5% in 2018. Nationally, CAIR chapters have reported a total of 10,015 anti-Muslim bias incidents from 2014 through June of 2019. The data collected shows a steady increase in the number of bias incidents targeting American Muslims over time, with the initial jump occurring after the 2015 entry of Donald Trump into the presidential elections.
GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE: Almost a quarter ( 23% ) of CAIR Washington’s reported cases in 2018 were related to government surveillance and systemic discrimination – things like incarnation and detention, travel delays and secondary screenings, and FBI surveillance. Most of these cases ( 36% ) happened while Muslims were traveling : "The federal government’s watch-listing system is not only broken; it is discriminatory and dangerous,” said CAIR-WA Executive Director Masih Fouladi. “The Watchlist has unfairly targeted religious leaders and communities from Muslim majority countries.”
On September 4, 2019, CAIR declared a “complete victory” in its challenge to the Watchlist when a federal judge ruled it violates the constitutional rights of those placed on it.
MUSLIM BAN: In 2017, the Trump administration first issued an Executive Order that banned foreign nationals from seven predominantly Muslim countries from visiting the United States. In June 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the current iteration of Trump’s racist Muslim Ban to go into effect. Today, this ban is still separating families and hurting communities in Washington. CAIR Washington’s 2018 Report includes a timeline of the Ban and stories from local Muslim community members on how it has impacted them and their families: "The Muslim Ban separated me from my husband for almost a year," Said Ubah Warsame-Aden, community member.
27% of the reports CAIR Washington received concerning immigration and travel in 2018 were related to the Muslim Ban and Muslim Ban waivers. We continue to work with families affected by this executive order.
READ CAIR WASHINGTON’S FULL REPORT HERE.
CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jessica Schreindl, CAIR Washington Communications Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 206.367.4081