Wednesday, December 8, 2010

No rise in hate-crimes against Muslims in 2009

When it comes to the 2009 hate crime statistics there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that there is still hate crime. The good news is that overall the number of reported hate-crimes in 2009 was down 15% from the previous year. More good news is that 2009 saw no statistical rise in hate-crimes directed against Muslims in America when compared to the flat trend that has held since 2002.

The table below shows the hate-crime statistics for the years 2001-2009 (all data from the FBI Civil Rights division website):



YEAR - -
Blacks - -
Jews - -
Gays - -
Muslims - -
Total
20092,725965
1,3971286,604
20082,8761,0131,2371057,783
20072,6589691,2211157,624
20062,6409671,1481567,722
20052,6308489711287,163
20042,7319541,1471567,649
20032,5489271,2251497,489
20022,4869311,2341557,462
20012,8991,0431,3754819,730
[Totals include other categories of hate-crimes not listed.]


This year we have been inundated by hysterical accusations about a wave of Islamophobia sweeping across America. It was specifically claimed that the strong opposition to plans to build a mosque at Ground Zero (or an "Islamic Cultural Center" in "Lower Manhattan", whatever) was proof of a sinister fascistic trend in America that would soon rival the anti-Semitic horrors of the mid 20th century.

The 2009 FBI hate-crime statistics clearly demonstrate that opposition to the Ground Zero Mosque is not symptomatic of some long-gathering groundswell of religious bigotry directed against Muslims. That is good news.


Also see these earlier posts from this blog:

1 comment:

Adon said...

This may be a little irrelevent but please check this vid before youtube removes it.
It's disturbing, yet it happens many times in many Islamic countries.
This is the Islamic law, this is the religion of peace.
(Note: the vid is disturbing, not for all audience).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piu7D1sYuxU