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Star-Telegram - July 12, 2005
Texas: Hate crimes against Arabs, Muslims up in 2004
By Anthony Spangler
Reported hate crimes in Texas dropped to the lowest level since 1999 last year, but offenses against Arabs and Muslims increased slightly, a state Department of Public Safety study shows.
Hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims peaked in 2001, according to DPS crime data. The number of crimes against those groups had declined in 2002 and 2003 but remained higher than those reported before 9-11.
Arab and Islamic advocacy groups in the United States say events such as 9-11, the war in Iraq and the recent terrorist attacks in London typically fuel a backlash against their communities.
"It is unfortunate that we are associated with those acts, which we immediately have condemned," said Rabiah Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C. "A Muslim who commits an act of terror will always get more news coverage than a Muslim who fights against it."
The organization has received only one hate-crime complaint in the United States since last week's attacks in London. A mosque in Indiana was vandalized, but a motive has not been determined, Ahmed said.
Hate crimes are offenses motivated by race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability. Under a 1998 Texas law, prosecutors can seek longer prison sentences if a victim was targeted because of such factors.
Texas DPS figures show that hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims increased from 17 in 2003 to 20 in 2004.
Ahmed said her organization has received more complaints than what were reported to law enforcement. "Our sense is that many Muslims feel more comfortable reporting problems to us than what shows up on police crime reports," she said.
Hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims in Texas remain disproportionate to their population.
Arabs make up about 0.3 percent of Texas' population, but they are victims in 4 percent of all hate crimes. About 0.5 percent of Texans are Muslims, but they are victims in 2.8 percent of the reported hate crimes….
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/12113145.htm
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