CAIR reports record 8,658 complaints of Muslim and Arab attacks in 2024 due to Gaza conflict fuelling Islamophobia.
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In a concerning escalation, the United States witnessed a record number of incidents concerning prejudice and violence against Muslims and individuals of Arab descent in 2024 during the Israel-Gaza conflict, as reported by a prominent advocacy organization.
A report published by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Tuesday detailed that last year, 8,658 complaints were filed regarding anti-Muslim and anti-Arab activities – an increase of 7.4% from the previous year, marking the highest numbers since the group started recording such data in 1996.
Workplace discrimination complaints comprised the majority, making up 15.4% of the total, followed by complaints about immigration and asylum at 14.8%, issues in education were at 9.8%, and hate crimes at 7.5%.
Advocates for civil rights have pointed out a rise in Islamophobia, anti-Arab sentiment, and anti-Semitism following the onset of the conflict in October 2023, when Hamas launched attacks leading to Israel’s aggressive military response in Gaza.
“For the second consecutive year, the U.S.-backed Gaza genocide has led to a surge in Islamophobia in the United States,” states CAIR.
Israel has denied accusations of genocide and claims of war crimes.
In December, a man was found guilty of a hate crime for the murderous stabbing of a six-year-old Palestinian American boy that occurred 18 months prior.
Other recent disturbing cases include the attempted drowning of a three-year-old Palestinian American girl in Texas, the stabbing of a Palestinian American man in Texas, the beating of a Muslim man in New York, and the shooting of two Israeli visitors mistakenly believed to be Palestinian in Florida.
Suppression of University Protests
CAIR also has documented a clampdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations at university campuses.
Protesters have been demanding an end to US support for Israel, and this has led to canceled classes, university administrations resigning, and students involved in protests being suspended or arrested over the summer of 2024.
Notable events include violent arrests of protesters at Columbia University and a mob attack on pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of California, Los Angeles.
President Donald Trump has ordered a more forceful response to the protests.
Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student and negotiator between pro-Palestinian protesters and Columbia University’s administration, was <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2025/3/11/a-dangerous-moment-advocates-denounce-arrest-of-activist-mahmoud-khalil">recently arrested</a> by immigration officials despite possessing a permanent residency green card.
Trump mentioned on social media that Khalil's arrest "is just the beginning" and indicated that further actions would be taken against such activities on university campuses.
"We know there are other students at Columbia and other universities nationwide who have participated in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, and anti-American activities, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate them," he stated.
<p>Afaf Nasher, the Executive Director of CAIR New York, condemned the arrest as a "shocking escalation" that "sets a dangerous precedent and jeopardizes the civil liberties of all."
