LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Islamophobia reached an all-time high nationwide last year, with California leading the country in anti-Muslim discrimination complaints, according to a report released Wednesday by the Council on American- Islamic Relations.
According to CAIR’s 2025 Civil Rights report, the organization received a total of 8,658 complaints nationwide, the highest number recorded since the first study was first published in 1996. This marked a 7.4% increase from 6,061 complaints received in 2023.
This trend was also evident in California, where CAIR-CA, which includes offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento Valley/Central California, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay area, received 1,004 civil rights complaints in 2024, up from 756 the previous year.
“The findings in this report affirm what our community has been experiencing first-hand — an alarming rate in Islamophobia and the suppression of political speech,” CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush said in a statement.
He noted that across California and the nation, students, workers and activists have faced retaliation for condemning genocide and apartheid in relation to the war in Gaza.
“These unconstitutional crackdowns threaten not only the civil rights of Muslims, but also the very foundation of free expression in our country,” Ayloush added.
The report identified three key trends:
— A shift in targeting: In previous years, American-Muslims were often targeted for their faith, but in 2024, Palestinians, Arabs, Jews, African Americans and Asian Americans were targeted for their opposition to genocide and apartheid, according to CAIR-LA;
— Rising employment discrimination: Employment discrimination reached a new high, consisting of 15.4% of all complaints reported to CAIR offices. Many of these complaints stem from employees, particularly minority groups, being punished for speaking out against Israel’s occupation of Palestine and its treatment of Palestinians; and
— Increase in law enforcement encounters: Law enforcement encounters surged by 71.5%, with 506 encounters reported in 2024 to CAIR-LA. The rise in this category stem with student-led anti-genocide protests at universities, which the report noted is a troubling trend as administrators call on law enforcement to target protesters and their viewpoints.
“The American Muslim community is not only being targeted by hate and bigotry for their faith but also for their commitment to justice and human rights,” Ayloush said. “Now, more than ever, we must remain strong and politically engaged as we challenge hate and defend our communities.”
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