The Opposite of Hate: Arab, Jewish, and Black Leaders Respond to Increased Violence

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Hate crimes are on the rise nationally and Northern California is not immune. The latest FBI statistics show hate crimes rose 17 percent between 2016 to 2017. Of the many communities targeted, the Arab community stands out, with a 100% increase-- more than five times the national average. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the rise continued in 2018 in California where hate crimes jumped for the third straight year.

Where is the spike in anti-Muslim sentiment coming from? What purpose is it serving? How are Arabs, Muslims and their allies adapting their strategies to secure the wellbeing of their communities? What role can philanthropy play in combating the hate against communities under attack?

A report by the Center for American Progress (CAP) suggests that policy interests, not security, are driving anti-muslim sentiment. CAP identified an Islamophobia Network whose purpose is misinformation. Earlier this year, Philanthropy California issued an alert calling attention to a new report by the Council on American Islamic Relations detailing over a billion dollars in philanthropic funding to anti-Muslim hate groups.

Please join us for dialogue with movement and philanthropic leaders on the impacts of the Muslim Ban on Arab and Muslim communities, how they’re building movement solidarity among Arab, Muslim, Jewish and Black-led organizations in the fight against Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism, and the challenges these movements face when their advocacy for sovereignty in the Middle East and North Africa is conflated for anti-Semitism.