Muslim, Jewish organizations around Philadelphia observe increased hate incidents
Those incidents include hate speech, vandalism, threats, and violence.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- As tensions rise in the Middle East, incidents of hate are rising here in the U.S.
These incidents have been targeting people of both Muslim and Jewish faiths.
One Jewish leader who spoke with Action News thinks the hate has been escalated by the Israel-Hamas war. A Muslim leader who spoke with Action News thinks perceptions of the war have dehumanized people of his faith.
RELATED | Israel expands ground assault into Gaza, Hamas releases new hostage video
Both groups are now making strong statements against all hate.
The statement on the front of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia is a message that's hard to miss.
The new poster shows images of people, including children, who are among the 200 hostages being held by Hamas.
"They don't want us to make noise. We, the entire country and all people of conscience, must stand up," said Dr. Misha Galperin, president and CEO of the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.
Some in his community are refusing to hide, which is the same thing some in the Muslim community are doing.
"I am wearing this Palestinian scarf. I don't normally wear it," said Ahmet Tekelioglu, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Philadelphia chapter.
He says his office has gotten four times the number of calls regarding anti-Muslim incidents than it normally does during the past few weeks.
"What we are seeing is this deep-seated, white supremacist, anti-Muslim racists are now becoming activated," said Tekelioglu.
Anti-Jewish incidents are also on the rise across the country.
"We have an incident that we're aware of where an individual was walking down the street in Philadelphia and had their yarmulke ripped off," said Andrew Goretsky, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Philadelphia Regional Office.
SEE ALSO | Anti-Defamation League reports record number of antisemitic incidents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey
In the roughly two weeks following the Hamas attack, ADL tracked nearly five times as many anti-Semitic incidents nationwide compared to the same period last year.
CAIR's national office tracked nearly triple the number of Islamophobia and biased incidents compared to the average two-week period last year.
The 6abc Data Team combined information from both organizations and found that ADL and CAIR tracked more than 1,000 incidents motivated by hate or bias against their communities during that two-week time period.
Those incidents include hate speech, vandalism, threats, and violence, although the organizations differed in the types of incidents counted.
"We knew from the 2021 Israel-Hamas conflict that a rise in violence there results in a rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobia incidents here," said Goretsky.
Locally, neither side is condoning acts of bias against the other.
"We're part of a moment together with our colleagues from different groups," said Tekelioglu.
"Hate against ethnic groups, against religious groups, no matter who they are is abhorrent," Galperin.
The local CAIR office is calling for increased security at mosques. Meanwhile, the Biden Administration is addressing the issue of anti-Semitism on college campuses.
SEE ALSO | Person of interest sought in fatal shooting outside Upper Darby, Pennsylvania mosque
For more information or resources from the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, click here.
To visit CAIR Philadelphia's website, click here.
