Hate Crimes After September 11, 2001

Overview

In the days and weeks following September 11, 2001, many Arab Americans and South Asian Americans faced a “backlash” of verbal and physical assaults and threats, as they were blamed for the terrorist attacks on the United States. Most public officials were quick to emphasize the distinctions between Muslims in the United States and the terrorists who were apparently motivated by violent and extremist political viewpoints related to their interpretations of Islam. Nevertheless, attacks against individuals who were Muslim, or were perceived to be Muslim, skyrocketed in the days and months following September 11, 2001. Some incidents have recurred on each anniversary of the attacks.

The “post-9/11” backlash took the form of racially or religiously offensive jokes in the workplace and classroom, verbal harassment in the streets, telephone threats to individuals in their homes, property damage and violence at places of worship, and tragically, the shooting deaths of several individuals. As a result, many members of Middle Eastern and South Asian communities reported that they were afraid to leave their homes, go to work or attend school, or practice their religions for fear that they would be the targets of discrimination or attacks.

Immediate Aftermath of 9/11

Despite the pleas for calm made by politicians and public leaders, in the first week after the terrorist attack (September 12 through September 17, 2001), newspapers and other media serving major cities throughout the United States reported 645 bias incidents directed toward Americans perceived to be of Middle Eastern descent. By October 11th, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund reported 93 attacks against Muslim, Sikh, and Hindu Americans as well as others of Arab and South Asian descent. In the 3-month period following September 11th, at least 250 bias-motivated incidents targeting South Asian Americans were reported; the actual number of attacks is probably higher. This rate of violence against a subset of the larger Asian and Pacific American community represented a dramatic increase in the typical rate of racial or religious violence against Asian and Pacific American communities. In the years prior to 2001, the National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium reported approximately 400 to 500 such attacks per year against all Asian American groups (including East and Southeast Asians) combined. Violence against Muslim, including populations assumed to be Muslim, such as Sikhs, have also taken place when gurudwaras (Sikh houses of worship), masjids (Muslim houses of worship), or mandirs (Hindu temples) have been vandalized.

Along with the assaults and threats to physical safety, there was widespread support for differential treatment of Arab and South Asian Muslims. Many people in the United States spoke out in favor of the racial profiling of Muslims. Many individuals were also in favor of requiring Arab Americans, including U.S. citizens, to carry special identity papers. In pursuit of information about the attacks and possible future attacks, the federal government engaged in a pattern of interrogations, [Page 1038]arrests, home invasions, and property confiscations focused on members of the Arab and Muslim community. U.S. governmental tactics included long-term detention of prisoners who were not charged or tried and who were eventually released without being charged. Governmental eavesdropping on attorneys was also reported. The federal government initiated the National Security Entry/Exit Registration System (NSEERS) in September 2002. The primary focus was on men from Muslim-majority countries, and a “special registration” provision required noncitizens already present in the United States to report to immigration officials for questioning. While this portion of NSEERS was suspended at the end of 2003, the rest of the program remained in effect until April 2011. In conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security's Absconder Apprehension Initiative, many noncitizen Arab or Muslim men were detained and deported for commission of “aggravated felony offenses,” which carry the additional penalty of deportation or criminal violations of immigration law.

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