After California shooting, fears of Muslim harassment rise

(THEJAKARTAPOST)Aseveredpig'sheadwasleftoutsideamosqueinPhiladelphia.AnIslamiccenterinFloridawasdefaced.ASikhtempleinCaliforniawasvandalizedbysomeonewhomistookitforamosqueandleftgraffitithatincludedaprofanereferencetotheIslamicStategroup.

Advocacygroupsbelievetherehasbeenaspikeinanti-MuslimincidentsacrosstheUnitedStatesinrecentweeksthatcanbelinkedtolastweek'smassshootinginCaliforniaandtheinflammatoryrhetoricofDonaldTrumpandotherRepublicanpresidentialcandidates.AndtheysaythatMuslimsarefearfulthebacklashcouldleadtofurtherharassmentandviolence.

"ThespikebeganwiththeParisattacksandhasintensifiedwithwhathappenedinSanBernardinoandnowwithwhatDonaldTrumpisproposing,"IbrahimHooper,leadspokesmanfortheCouncilonAmerican-IslamicRelations,saidWednesday."IhaveneverseensuchfearandapprehensionintheMuslimcommunity,evenafter9/11."

it'shardtomeasuretheextentoftheproblem.TheFBI,whichkeepsstatisticsonhatecrimescommittednationwide,counted154biasoffensesagainstMuslimslastyear.Datafor2015isunavailable.

TheAnti-DefamationLeague,relyingpartlyoncomplaintsandpartlyonmediareports,saidithasloggedmorethanthreedozenincidentssincetheNov.13terrorattacksinParisthatleft130dead.

"We'retalkingatleastthreedozenthatwe'reawareof,andI'msuretherearemanymoreincidentsthathaven'tbeenreported,"saidOrenSegal,thedirectoroftheADL'sCenteronExtremism.

"Withlegitterrorattacksandthepublicdiscourseaboutthem,ithascreatedanatmosphereripeforthesetypesofstereotypesandincidents,"Segalsaid."Peopleareexploitingthem."

Segalwasn'tabletoprovideacomparisonpointtothesameperiodlastyear,butsaidthatthepaceofincidentsappearstohavepickedupsincetheDec.2shootinginSanBernardinothatkilled14peopleandinjured21others.Thesuspects,SyedRizwanFarook,andhiswifeTashfeenMalik,laterdiedinagunbattlewithpolice.

ThatshootingpromptedTrumponMondaytoproposeacompletebanonMuslimimmigrantsintotheU.S.,triggeringafiercedebatethathasdominatedthenationalpoliticalconversation.AdvocatessayotherRepublicanpresidentialcandidatesalsohavefueledanti-Islamicsentiment,includingBenCarsonwhosuggestedaMuslimshouldnotbepresidentandRickSantorumwhoquestionedwhethertheU.S.ConstitutionprotectedIslam.

"ThegroundhadbeenprimedforthiskindofharassmentbytheongoingdemonizationofIslam,"saidHooper."After9/11therewerehatecrimesontheedgesofsociety,butnowit'sinthemainstreamwiththeleadingRepublicanpresidentialcandidatesayingMuslimsarenotwantedinAmerica."

AmongtheincidentsreportedsincetheCaliforniashooting:

Sometimesit'shardforauthoritiestodecipherwhetherthesuspectsarefueledbybigotryorwhetherthere'ssomethingelseinplay.

TheNewYorkPoliceDepartmentsaidPiroKolvani,55,walkedintoafoodmarketinQueensSaturday,hadabriefverbalexchangewiththestoreclerkandthenattackedhim.Theclerk,SarkerHaque,53,toldWPIX-TVhisassailantshouted"IkillMuslims,"beforepunchinghiminhislefteye.