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:

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain."

"I just believe in me, Yoko and me. And that's reality."



無無明亦無無明尽
mu-mu-myou-yaku-mu-mu-myou-jin
no ignorance and also no extinction of ignorance

乃至老死亦老死尽
nai-shi-mu-rou-shi-yaku-mu-rou-shi-jin
and so forth until no old age and death and no extinction of old age and death

苦集滅道
mu-ku-shuu-metsu-dou
no suffering, origination, stopping, path

智亦
mu-chi-yaku-mu-toku
no cognition also no attainment

所得故
i-mu-sho-tok-ko
with nothing to attain

菩提薩埵依般若波羅蜜多故
bo-dai-sat-ta-e-han-nya-ha-ra-mi-ta-ko
the Bodhisattva depends upon Prajna Paramita

罣礙
shin-mu-ke-ge
and mind is no hindrance

[The excerpt from the Heart Sutra along with transliteration and translation is from Brad Warner's old "doubtboy" blog here. Therein he says, "I claim no ownership or copyright of any kind on this material. So feel free to use it in any way you please without asking permission from me. Copy it. Distribute it. Re-write it as a pornographic limerick if you want."]