Source: The Associated Press

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=519&e=9&u=/ap/20030328/ap_on_re_us/war_backlash_2

On March 28, 2003 The Associated Press reported that "Muslim, Arab and Sikh groups say reports of backlash crimes are trickling in, and they fear an increase if the war in Iraq drags on... Advocates who track such incidents say they've heard about a dozen potential hate crimes � most involving verbal harassment or property damage to Arabs, Muslims and Sikhs � since the war began last week... 'The longer the war goes on and the higher the number of American casualties there, I think probably you can make a correlation there would be more hate crimes and harassment against Arab-Americans and those perceived to be,' said Laila Al-Qatami, a spokeswoman for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee."