The group documented more than 300 reported incidents targeting South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern and Arab communities during that period. The levels of violence mirror those seen the year after the 9/11 attacks, with 82 percent of the hate violence and xenophobic political rhetoric now motivated by Islamophobia, the group said. Women who identify or are perceived as South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu, Middle Eastern or Arab represented 28 percent of the documented hate violence, the report noted. The report found that just over 40 percent of the xenophobic rhetoric came from white supremacist hate groups or individuals. Among the incidents of xenophobic political rhetoric were Trump’s statements following the New York City attack in October that left eight people dead and 12 injured.

Source: Huffington Post February 22, 2018 23:37 UTC