A local advocacy organization is calling on law enforcement to treat recent anti-Palestinian or anti-Muslim incidents as hate crimes.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it has received 2,171 complaints of anti-Musim and anti-Palestinian hate nationwide from October 7 to December 2, 2023 — an increase compared to the same time in 2022. CAIR has been collecting these complaints since 1995.
Nearly 300 of those incidents, including reports of physical attacks, verbal abuse and trespassing, took place in Ohio, according to Faten Odeh, executive director of CAIR-Ohio. Odeh said she wants local prosecutors to treat these acts as hate crimes — or ethnic intimidation, the phrase used in Ohio law.
“They aren’t being attacked for any other reason than they are Palestinian or they’re pro-Palestinian or they’re Muslim,” Odeh said. “Let’s call it what it is. And then the consequences should reflect what the crime is.”
“We’re asking for an end to the violence for everyone, release of all of the hostages on all sides and for us to address the rising anti-Palestinian, anti-Muslim and antisemitism," Odeh said.
What makes a hate crime a hate crime?
Ethnic intimidation as a charge that can be addedto one of five — and only five — other potential offenses under Ohio law, said Jonathan Witmer-Rich, co-director of Cleveland State University’s Criminal Justice Center.
If someone were to commit offenses of menacing, aggravated menacing, criminal damaging, criminal mischief or telecommunications harassment and that person committed one of those offenses because of the race, color, religion or national origin of another person, it can be considered ethnic intimidation and the charges faced could be more severe.
“It doesn’t carry with it a huge extra punishment. It makes the offense one offense more serious, so it’s a little bit more serious,” Witmer-Rich said. “A lot of supporters or advocates will say a large purpose of hate crime bills is to send a public message about what happened."
This has been Ohio’s law for ethnic intimidation since 1987. Witmer-Rich said most hate crime laws were passed later than 1987.
Other incidents and advocates
The Israel-Hamar War, which began in October, has enflamed tensions towards both Muslims and Jews in the U.S., figures show.
“White nationalist individuals and groups are taking advantage of the conflict to spread their antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracies,” said Southern Poverty Law Center spokesperson Caleb Kieffer. “Many of these actors — who often spread racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate — have at the same time dishonestly claimed support for Palestinians.”
The Jewish advocacy group the Anti-Defamation League says reports of antisemitic incidents have also risen since the start of the war. ADL data show 3,291 antisemitic incidents, including harassment, vandalism and assault, were reported between Oct. 7, 2023 and Jan. 23.
Of the 3,291 incidents, 1,307 are considered “rallies that featured antisemitic, anti-Zionist or pro-terror content.”
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland said it couldn't comment specifically on CAIR-Ohio's proposal.
"Generally speaking, we condemn all forms of hate and continue work diligently to make sure hate has no home in Cleveland," the group said in a statement.
