27 Examples Of The ‘Unprecedented’ Spike In Islamophobic Incidents in the US
Protests/attacks on houses of worship
Meriden, CT (11/13/2015) — An assailant reportedly fired several shots through the wall of a mosque. Bullets penetrated three interior walls and struck in prayer areas. Fortunately, no one was in the facility at the time.
Dearborn, MI (11/15/2015) — A woman posted a tweet that read “Dearborn, MI has the highest Muslim population in the United States. Let’s f— that place up and send a message to ISIS. We’re coming.” Police responded by locating the woman who posted the threat, who later made a public apology.
St. Petersburg, FL (11/15/2015) — Just hours after the attacks in Paris, a Florida man left a voicemail on the answering machine of a local mosque that threatened to “come down” and “firebomb you and shoot whoever is there in the head.” The man, who left his name, also indicated that he would kill children, saying, “I don’t care if they are [expletive] two years old or 100.”
Portland, OR (11/15/2015) — Worshippers attending afternoon prayer at a mosque were met with protestors waving signs and t-shirts that read “JESUS SAVES FROM HELL,” and “Proud infidel.”
Pflugerville, TX (11/16/2015) — Vandals allegedly splattered the front of a mosque with feces. In addition, they littered the ground with pages torn from the Quran, also covered with feces.
Omaha, NE (11/16/2015) — Vandals reportedly spray-painted a picture of the popularized Eiffel Tower peace symbol on the outside of a mosque. The mosque has been subject to vandalism several times over the past month.
Fredericksburg, VA (11/17/2015) — A public meeting about a proposed expansion to an existing mosque erupted when some attendees began shouting anti-Muslim slurs and epithets. Video of the event shows one man bellowing “Every one of you are terrorists” and “Nobody, nobody, nobody wants your evil cult.”
Fort Bend, TX (11/18/2015) — A man was charged with making a terrorist threat after posting a message with the phrase ”I’m going to shoot up a mosque” on Facebook. He also posted images of himself with a handgun, ammunition, and a black military styled knife.
Falls Church, VA (11/19/2015) — A Virginia man was charged with leaving a fake explosive device at a mosque, as well as inflicting an estimated $200 damage to the mosque’s gate.
San Antonio, TX (11/20/2015) — A man in military fatigues was arrested for entering a mosque, cursing at worshippers, and wiping his boots on prayer rugs. A nearby school run by the mosque reportedly canceled classes in response.
Corpus Christi, TX (11/20/2015) — A letter sent to a local mosque reportedly included a cartoon depiction of Muhammad — an action offensive to many Muslims — along with the instruction “Convert To Christianity Before It’s Too Late!!!”
Irving, TX (11/21/2015) — A group of armed protestors in military fatigues protested outside a mosque, holding Ted Cruz signs and placards that read “Stop the Islamization of America.”
Lubbock, TX (11/24/2015) — Worshippers at a mosque said they discovered several lights broken and the front door of the building smashed overnight.
Lexington, KY (11/27/2015) — A Kentucky mosque reportedly received a death threat via email. Police responded by posting a guard outside the facility.
Hancock, NY (11/27/2015) — The FBI issued a warning to the Hancock police department that Arizona resident and notorious anti-Muslim activist Jon Ritzheimer had threatened to travel to the state and confront a Muslim group in the area. He reportedly posted a video of himself cocking a gun and threatening to go tell them to “go [expletive themselves] themselves,” while also encouraging all Americans to “carry a long rifle” everywhere they go.
Personal threats and attacks
Storrs, CT (11/15/2015) — According to Mass Live, a University of Connecticut student named Mahmoud returned to his dorm room to find his name crossed out and the words “killed Paris” scrawled across the door. The school is currently investigating the incident.
Cincinnati, OH (11/15/15) — A pre-med student at the University of Cincinnati told reporters that she was called a terrorist and almost run over by a man while trying to cross the street. She said that as she left a Starbucks after a night of studying, a man began honking, cursing, and calling her a terrorist before gunning his car toward her. She said three bystanders pulled her onto the sidewalk before the vehicle could run her down. According to CAIR, she was the third Muslim in Cincinnati harassed that week.
Orlando, FL (11/16/2015) — A gunman reportedly fired several shots into the home of a Muslim family in Orange County, Florida. The bullets penetrated the garage wall, and one was discovered in the family’s dresser in their master bedroom.
Charlotte, NC (11/16/2015) — An Ethiopian Christian Uber driver told local media that a passenger mistook him for a Muslim and then attacked him, punching him while he was driving. The passenger threatened to strangle and shoot him “right in the face” before the driver stopped the car, honking the horn to attract attention.
Norman, OK (11/16/2015) — An Oklahoma man allegedly called the police to say that he was dealing with mental illness and that he planned to attack Muslims, saying, “[I’m] going to go out there and just start shooting anything that looks like a Muslim after what they did to France.” When officers arrived, he was standing in the doorway holding a gun. When he refused to drop his weapon, officers opened fire and disarmed him. He is currently recovering in a hospital in stable condition.
San Diego, CA (11/18/2015) — A woman wearing a headscarf said she was shoved by a man while pushing a stroller, forcing it into her visibly pregnant belly. The victim told police she knew the perpetrator and that he had harassed her before.
Austin, TX (11/19/2015) — A Muslim woman told local news that she returned to her car after going to the gym to find a note that read “Go away!” The note was scrawled on a schedule from the gym, leading her believe that a fellow gym member wrote it.
San Diego, CA (11/20/2015) — A Muslim student at San Diego State University reported she was battered by a man who pushed and pulled her by her headscarf while making hateful comments about Islam.
New York City, NY (11/20/2015) — A postal worker was arrested on hate crime charges for spitting on two Muslim women, following them into a deli, and threatening to burn down their mosque. She was also called the woman “n**ger.”
Pittsburgh, PA (11/20/2015) — A cab driver reported that he picked up passenger, who proceeded to rant about Islam and ask the driver if he was Muslim. When they arrived at their destination, the passenger allegedly left to retrieve his wallet, only to return brandishing a rifle. The cab driver sped away, but the passenger reportedly fired two shots as he left — one of which shattered the back window, and another which struck the driver between his shoulder blades. He is currently recovering in the hospital.
Profiling at airports
Baltimore, MD (11/17/2015) — Four people of Middle Eastern descent were removed from a plane when another passenger claimed one was involved in “suspicious activity” — namely, viewing a news report on a smart phone. None of the passengers removed from the plane were charged with any crime.
Philadelphia, PA (11/19/2015) — Two Palestinian-Americans from Philadelphia (one of them a pizza shop owner) were told they couldn’t board a plane because another passenger was made uncomfortable when they started conversing in Arabic. They were eventually allowed to fly, but only after calling 911 and being held at the gate for 20 minutes.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/201...a-since-paris/