There was a whopping 63% increase in 2022 in the volume of complaints filed by Muslim school children in the U.S., according to a report by the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), the head of Research and Advocacy at CAIR Corey Saylor said it is the first recorded decline in civil rights complaints by Muslim Americans since they started tracking such data in 1995.
"That drop gives us hope, but the hope for us comes in that environment in which we see discrimination against other communities increasing and now we're beginning to see sort of a rise in civil conflict again."
Saylor said American people still do not embrace Muslims as part of society, adding that the portrayal of Muslims in media after the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning Roe v. Wade case in 2022, and the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 is evidence highlighting this.
He also noted that complaints pertaining to school incidents increased by 63%.
"Bullying or Islamophobic material in classroom teaching is incredibly concerning to us. So, while we're happy to see the government-type cases go down, unfortunately, the children seem to be one of the main targets."
He referred to the video of a teacher in the state of Florida disrespecting Muslim students while they were praying.
"Hold on, this in my office, and you all doing this magic?" the teacher said in a viral TikTok video in December 2022. She then commented, "I believe in Jesus, so I'm interrupting the floor."
He also stressed that despite some negative examples, there has been positive news for Muslims in both education and sports.
Saylor recalled that public officials in the states of Ohio and Maryland passed laws to protect athletes who wear headscarves due to their religious beliefs. This law was passed after two athletes, Noor Abukaram and Je'Nan Hayes, were been disqualified from sports competitions in the two states for donning headscarves.
Law enforcement after Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot
Saylor said there was a 32% increase in complaints of anti-Muslim actions by law enforcement and government officials during the first year of former President Donald Trump's administration.
He said believes that the decrease in these complaints in 2022 could be related to the new period of President Joe Biden and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
"Donald Trump said he was going to ban Muslims from this country and that he thought Islam hates us. So, when you have someone like that who has control of the government, you are going to see a lot more government-driven cases."
The law enforcement focused on real threats after the Capitol riot, he said.
Saylor also pointed out that there is still a rising trend in anti-Muslim prejudice in education and banking sectors despite a 23% decrease in overall complaints, adding that financial institutions open and close bank accounts based on religious beliefs, which made banking transactions a major challenge for Muslims.
He recalled a survey conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding in March, which revealed that 27% of Muslims in the U.S. face difficulties with financial institutions.