US Muslim group says 2020 saw 9% spike in complaints

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - A leading US Muslim advocacy group said on Monday it saw a 9% increase in the number of complaints it received in 2020 compared to the previous year.

In all, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it received 6,144 complaints nationwide in 2020, which it said included a range of issues including "discrimination, immigration and travel restrictions, bias incidents, incarceree rights, law enforcement, and school-related incidents, among other reported issues."

Of those, 1,814 complaints were related to immigration or travel issues, which comprised the largest share of complaints received. An additional 1,151 complaints were made on the basis of discrimination, with other half that number due to alleged employment discrimination.

CAIR's annual civil rights report also found a 20% decrease in the number of hate crimes compared to 2019, which the group said was likely caused by restrictions cause by the coronavirus pandemic.