A group of religious leaders from multiple faiths and activists is calling on elected leaders in South Florida to protect the community following a sudden increase nationwide in hate incidents and crimes following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
Since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, hate crimes against Jews, Muslims and Arabs have soared in the U.S.
The Anti-Defamation League reported Wednesday that “incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault” skyrocketed 388% since the start of the war compared to the same period last year. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said almost 800 anti-Muslim incidents — the highest in years — have been reported nationwide since Oct. 7.
“Americans of all faiths are deeply concerned for the lack of attention and action from our government officials and educational institutions to protect and keep every American safe, home and abroad,” Imam Abdullah Jaber, said in a statement ahead of a planned news conference Thursday afternoon in Broward County to talk about the public safety concerns.
READ MORE: Top South Florida officials keeping close watch on hate crimes, threats
Imam Abdullah is the executive director of the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which organized the press conference.
He is especially critical of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, noting that the chancellor of Florida’s university system demanded that chapters of the National Students for Justice in Palestinegroup be disbanded from Florida universities.
Chancellor Ray Rodrigues wrote in a letter to the presidents of Florida’s 12 state universities that the group released a “toolkit” that referred to Hamas’ initial attack on Israel this month as “the resistance” and said Palestinian students “in exile” are part of the movement.
“We are horrified to hear our governor equating Florida student activists to terrorists in recent statements instead of pleading for their safety and making sure that every American is safe everywhere in Florida,” Imam Abdullah said.
Earlier this month, South Florida’s top federal law enforcement officials issued a statement, saying they are on alert for possible hate crimes and potential threats, and would aggressively prosecute those suspected of such crimes.
“There is no place for hate, evil acts, or threats against Jews, Muslims, or anyone in our diverse South Florida communities or around the globe,” said Miami U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our local FBI partners are focused on protecting the safety and the civil rights of every person in South Florida.”
