Following the Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a surge of anti-Semitism, the Department of Justice (DOJ) took steps to address worries of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab discrimination, as indicated by recently released documents.
The DOJ, under the Biden-Harris administration, collaborated with a coalition referred to as “MASSA,” which includes “Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian communities.” Documents obtained reveal that this partnership aimed to counteract the community’s backlash after the terrorist incident, drawing parallels to the situation following September 11, 2001. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division (CRD), led by Kristen Clark, was particularly involved in these discussions.
Gene Hamilton, the president of American First Legal, who secured the documents through a public records request, criticized the CRD, suggesting it operated like an extension of a left-leaning organization. He stated that the DOJ seemed more focused on pushing radical policies than on ensuring public safety.
In November 2023, the CRD had slated a summit with groups like Emgage and the Sikh Coalition. This meeting was intended to tackle pressing issues for the MASSA community, which included rising hate crimes linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, delays in asylum and visa applications, and concerns over police profiling. The agenda also touched upon topics like “identification leaks” and alleged discrimination against advocates for Palestinians, notably in academic settings.
Attempts to reach out to the involved Muslim advocacy groups for comments were met with silence.
The DOJ acknowledged that Clark and other officials did engage with Jewish community leaders in D.C. during a week that coincided with the CRD’s conference. The DOJ indicated that it has maintained dialogue with various communities, including Muslim and South Asian groups, since the aftermath of 9/11.
There was another meeting planned for November 2023, humorously called the “post-9/11 backlash huddle,” referenced in an email.
Recent data from the FBI revealed that reported anti-Semitic hate crimes hit record levels in 2023. The majority of hate crimes were religiously motivated, with anti-Muslim and anti-Sikh incidents comprising about 14% combined. Anti-Arab hate crimes accounted for a smaller fraction of racially driven offenses.
An anonymous individual from the MASSA group reached out to the DOJ in October 2023 regarding a case in Conroe, Texas, which they believed could be a “hate crime.” Clark stated that the situation was on the FBI’s radar, although investigators found no clear evidence of bias regarding the incident.
In an email dated October 16, 2023, a civil rights official noted that former President Trump’s rhetoric about Muslims during the 2016 election period had reportedly fueled protests outside mosques and a rise in hate crimes.
Before the October 7 incident, anti-Semitism was frequently mentioned in discussions by the Biden-Harris administration, along with concerns regarding white supremacy, which Biden identified in 2021 as a significant terrorist threat to the United States.
A spokesperson for the DOJ stated that the department would refrain from using federal civil rights laws for political agendas against specific religious groups, while also opting not to comment on actions taken during the previous administration.
