Muslim group CAIR received 5,156 complaints in 2022, a 23% drop: Report

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) released a report Tuesday covering nationwide incidents of civil rights complaints by Muslim Americans in 2022 which revealed a 23% decrease.

Last year, the Muslim advocacy group received 5,156 complaints nationwide.

"This is a 23 percent decrease in total complaints since the 6,720 complaints CAIR received in 2021," said the report, titled "Progress in the Shadow of Prejudice.”

CAIR noted that it is also the first recorded decline since they started tracking such data in 1995.

The complaints involved various forms of discrimination as well as incidents related to law enforcement, education and sports.

They included airline discrimination, banking discrimination, bullying, denial of service, education discrimination, employment discrimination, FBI interrogation, hate crimes and law enforcement encounters.

The report also noted that complaints about law enforcement and government overreach dropped by 38%. At the same time, complaints about school incidents increased by 63%.

According to CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, the data reveals both progress and "significant challenges" in the fight against anti-Muslim bigotry and discrimination.

"The massive 63% rise in school related-complaints and persistently high reports of employment discrimination, bias incidents and government abuses are deeply concerning," he said.

CAIR urged government agencies, companies and local communities to implement the recommended steps in their report in order to achieve lasting progress in advancing justice for all, including American Muslims.