Hate crimes on the rise
In June, Bhushan Athale, 48, of Dallas, was charged with a federal hate crime for making threats against employees of a Sikh nonprofit organization.
According to the criminal complaint, in September 2022, Athale called the main number of an organization that advocates for the civil rights of Sikh individuals within the United States. Over the next hour, Athale left seven voicemails threatening to injure or kill members of the Sikh community working at the organization. Athale’s hate messages were filled with violent imagery and obscenity and contained references to places, people, and tenets that are particularly significant within the Sikh religion.
Among other things, Athale stated his intention to “catch” the Sikhs at the organization, forcibly “shave” the “top and bottom hair” of these individuals, use a “razor” to forcibly “cut” these individuals’ hair and “make” them bald, forcibly “make” them smoke and eat tobacco.
In March, Athale called again using violent imagery to express hatred toward Sikhs as well as Muslims. If convicted, Athale faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both charges also carry a penalty of up to a $250,000 fine.
Justice Departmentment combats hate crime
The Justice Department has continued to aggressively investigate and prosecute cases of civil rights violations. In the wake of a recent spate of hate crimes against people of Muslim, Arab, Sikh, South Asian, and Hindu backgrounds, the Justice Department convened a quarterly interagency meeting with stakeholders representing these communities. in early June.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division highlighted relevant actions to prevent and combat discrimination and hate crimes in enforcement efforts across the Department.
Hate incidents and threats of violence against these communities remain concerningly high, particularly since Oct. 7, 2023. The convening represents the department’s efforts to engage with organizations and community stakeholders and to demonstrate that combating hate crimes and addressing discrimination claims are among the department’s top priorities.
At the meeting, Representatives from the Civil Rights Division, FBI, Criminal Division, Community Relations Service, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties, and Office of Community Oriented Policing Service heard from attending organizations about campus safety and civil rights protections for student protestors as well as concerns about employment discrimination.
Representatives from other federal government agencies included the Department of Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia, the Homeland Security Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Departments of Education, Labor, Transportation, and State.
Keeping communities safe
In March, the department hosted a community safety briefing for Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian community stakeholders, during which the department released resource documents designed to help the public better understand federal civil rights laws, including laws that prohibit violence and discrimination on the basis of religion and national origin, discrimination in public accommodations, and protections afforded by the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
If you believe that you or someone else experienced religious or national origin discrimination, report a civil rights violation online at civilrights.justice.gov. If you believe you are a victim or a witness of a hate crime, report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov. Learn more about the department’s work on hate crimes here.
This series was made possible in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash