In 2016, Chicago saw a 20-percent increase in hate crimes, with 60 reported in 2015 versus 72 in 2016, according to police data. Last week, CAIR launched a mobile app that allows users to report incidents of bias and provides information on constitutional rights.ĭata from the Chicago Police Department shows an overall increase in hate crimes. Katebi attributes the lack of reporting to the normalization and frequency of such acts against Muslim-Americans, and the fear of retaliation. “One of the biggest problems that we have in this country is a lack of reporting of hate crimes,” Sohel said. But many people who experience acts of discrimination don’t know how to file a report, or may choose not to take any action at all, he said.Ī study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 65 percent of hate crimes occurring between 20 were not reported to law enforcement. The man, who included his phone number in the message, was charged with a felony count of a hate crime and a telephone threat on June 17.Īs an attorney for a civil rights organization, Sohel said he knew exactly who to call and how to report the incident. “I had chills, just listening to the man’s tone and hearing his words: ‘We’re not afraid of you, we’re going to kill you,’” Sohel said. According to Sohel, a middle-aged south suburban man left him a profanity-laced voicemail that included threats to his life. The increase in complaints noted by CAIR comes on the heels of an incident involving the group’s deputy director and counsel, Sufyan Sohel. (Courtesy of Chicago's Council on American Islamic Relations) “My anxiety walking and crossing the streets has amplified.”ĬAIR Chicago hosts events that aim to bring together people from various faiths. “I know I’m a target because of the way I dress,” Katebi said. While Katebi says she occasionally encountered that type of discrimination while growing up in Oklahoma, personal attacks like this have been occurring more frequently this year. Katebi, who wears a hijab, says that over the past few months she’s been called a “terrorist” while walking through city streets. Some were filed by parents whose children experience bullying over their religion others by people citing hostile comments from colleagues. The reports of discrimination are varied. Most of the reports cite incidents in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, where Katebi says CAIR Chicago has the greatest presence. While the civil rights and advocacy group has seen steady increases over the last few years, Katebi says the spike significantly outpaces anything they’ve seen previously.
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