Local Communities Face Hate Crimes

September 12, 2001

Source: The San Francisco Chronicle

On September 12, 2001, The San Francisco Chronicle reported on harassment in the Bay Area in the article, "Tolerance put to test in Bay Area; Muslims, mosques, Arabs find themselves targets of threats." Religion reporter Don Lattin wrote, "Yesterday's horrific terrorist attacks in New York and the nation's capital were not just a test of national security, but a test of national tolerance. It was a test of interfaith understanding, a test of whether Americans understand that the average American Muslim does not endorse violence in the name of God any more than does the average American Christian or the average American Jew." The article explained that local Muslims and Muslim organizations had received threats, and were living in fear of reprisals. The article continued, "In Santa Clara yesterday, American Muslims expressed shock and revulsion at the attacks, even while they feared retaliation." Area Muslim leaders plan to hold a blood drive for the victims of the bombing.