Hate Crime Laws Are Further Marginalizing American Muslims

Though American prosecutors and law enforcement have been loath to admit the role of Islamophobia in hate crimes, the high-profile murders of young American Muslims cannot escape its stain.

by Maryam Jamshidi

Hate crime laws make it illegal to use or threaten to use force against a person or property for reasons of bias, based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual-orientation. For communities experiencing institutionalized discrimination, ranging from the rhetorical to the violent, hate crime laws can be a safe harbor in an unrele…