Wave of Attacks on U.S. Mosques Reflects Rising Islamophobia
Amid Israeli Aggression on Gaza
Muslim
communities in the U.S. states of Texas and California are on high alert
following a series of attacks targeting mosques, including acts of vandalism
and the spray-painting of symbols on mosque walls. These incidents have
prompted Muslim leaders to intensify efforts to protect places of worship and
enhance the security of their communities.
These
attacks come amid what American Muslims describe as a highly charged
atmosphere, fueled by the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza and the
accompanying surge in hate speech against Muslims and Palestinians across the
United States.
Edward
Ahmed Mitchell, Deputy National Director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), stated that the past two years have been “extremely difficult
for American Muslims.” He noted that the scenes of death, destruction, and
starvation in Gaza have left a deep impact, coinciding with growing hostility
toward Muslims and Palestinians.
Mitchell
recalled a horrifying hate crime that took place shortly after the war began,
when a man in Illinois killed a six-year-old Palestinian-American Muslim boy
and wounded his mother in a brutal attack.
In
Texas, Rawand Abdulghani, a board member of Nueces Mosque in Austin, confirmed
that the recent attacks “reflect a troubling rise in Islamophobia since October
2023,” pointing out that anti-Palestinian and anti-immigrant rhetoric has
fueled such acts.
Surveillance
cameras captured a masked individual spraying symbols resembling the Star of
David on the mosque’s walls. CAIR’s Austin chapter reported that two other
mosques were targeted in similar attacks on the same night, describing the
incidents as “a disturbing pattern of hate crimes,” and called for increased
police patrols and urgent preventative measures.
In
California, the Islamic Center in the southern part of the state was subjected
to a similar attack, involving graffiti and markings on its walls—including the
Star of David. The center’s spokesperson, Omar Ricci, described the assault as
“an attack reflecting the genocidal atmosphere in Gaza.”
The Los
Angeles Police Department has launched an investigation, classifying the
incidents as “hate crimes,” and has increased patrols around mosques. However,
no suspects have been identified so far, and authorities noted that
non-religious sites were also vandalized.
CAIR
revealed that in 2024 alone, its offices received over 8,600 complaints related
to discrimination and attacks against Muslims—the highest number since it began
documenting such cases in 1996. Employment discrimination topped the list of
reported violations.
(Source:
Agencies)
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على الترجمة الكاملة للخبر باللغة العربية، اضغط (هنا).
