At the same time, overall hate crimes decreased, according to new data from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University.

There were 122 hate crimes targeting Asian Americans in 16 of the country's most populous cities in 2020, a study of police records shows, the study found.

This compares with 49 such crimes in those cities in 2019.

The first spike in anti-Asian hate crimes occurred last March and April, "amidst a rise in COVID cases and negative stereotyping of Asians relating to the pandemic."

New York City saw the biggest increase. It recorded 28 hate crimes in 2020 compared to three in 2019 — an 833 percent jump.

Other cities with large increases included Philadelphia and Cleveland (200 percent increases) and Boston and Los Angeles (increases of over 110 percent).

These spikes occurred even as overall hate crimes in those cities fell seven percent - a drop likely caused by pandemic lockdown measures, the study found.

The study is seen as a reliable predictor of annual FBI hate crime statistics for the whole country, released every November.

Brian Levin, executive director at the hate and extremism center, predicts when the FBI data for 2020 is released, it will show a "century-high" number of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.

"For our Asian American friends and neighbors, this is similar to a post 9/11 time, similar to what we saw with Muslims and Arab Americans," Levin said, referring to the increase in hate crimes targeting those groups after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), whose district in Queens has recently seen anti-Asian hate crimes, says racist rhetoric and misinformation from public officials is to blame.

"We saw discriminatory rhetoric coming from President Trump and Members of Congress including from the highest-ranking Republican in the House," Meng said.

"Although Donald Trump is no longer in office, his past anti-Asian rhetoric and use of terms like ‘Chinese virus' and ‘Kung-flu' continues to threaten the safety of the Asian American community. So many Asian Americans" are currently "living in fear."

This hate and fearmongering is another chapter in a long history of racism, nativism and xenophobia against Asian Americans, beginning in the 19th century, when Asian immigrants were deemed "the yellow peril" and accused of being filthy disease carriers, Meng said.

Throughout the pandemic, Asian American and Pacific Islander advocacy groups and local governments recorded sharp upticks in anti-Asian racist attacks and harassment.

In recent weeks, there has been a wave of high-profile incidents, including in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, both with large and robust Asian American communities. Many of the attacks have involved older Asian Americans.

In one of his first acts as president, Joe Biden condemned anti-Asian racism and pledged to take more action. The Department of Justice has said it will devote more resources to investigating such incidents.

Source

• Huffington Post
• Images: BBC

Currently, hate-motivated hostility can be considered an "aggravating factor" in sentencing, and staff can note when a crime was motivated by a "common characteristic" such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion. Read more

Following last year's review of hate crimes by retired judge Lord Bracadale, the church, in a submission to the Scottish government, asked for more discussion.

The church submission suggests holding to Catholic beliefs, particularly those in relation to marriage or sexuality, may soon be deemed "an attempt to stir up hatred".

Public consultation about the review considered a provision in Bracadale's report that protecting freedom of expression be included in any new legislation relating to stirring up offences.

The church welcomed the provision, saying today's "climate of heightened sensitivity" and the increasingly broad definitions of "hate crime" are putting freedom of speech and belief at risk.

Catholic Parliamentary Office Director Anthony Horan says it's important to guard against a situation where expressing or holding individual or collective opinions or beliefs will become a hate crime.

Therefore, to ensure that freedom of expression, thought, conscience and religion are protected is necessary, he says.

"Some people might suggest that expressing the Catholic church's position on marriage or human sexuality could be an attempt to stir up hatred.

"This would obviously be wrong but, without room for robust debate and exchange of views, we risk becoming an intolerant, illiberal society."

Sectarianism "does not need to be specifically addressed and defined as a hate crime", Horan notes.

The Scottish Government is analysing the responses to the public consultation. It plans to consider them in shaping its Hate Crime Bill.

Source

• The Scottish Sun
• Christian Today
• Image: BBC

However, the British government is refusing to say whether it is or not.

The question arose when Lord Pearson of Rannoch raised a question on the issue in the House of Lords.

In response, he says the government failed to state clearly whether or not Christians can be prosecuted for stating their beliefs.

"I said to the government ‘Will they confirm unequivocally that a Christian who says that Jesus is the only son of the one true God cannot be arrested for hate crime or any other offence, however much it may offend a Muslim or anyone of any other religion?'"

In response to the question, government whip Baroness Vere of Norbiton said: "My Lords, I am not going to comment on that last question from the noble Lord."

Vere says the legal definition of "hate crime" has been the same for the past 10 years.

Pearson says Vere's refusal to comment was "pretty unique" and "makes one very worried".

The Crown Prosecution Service defines racial and religious hate crime as "particularly hurtful to victims as they are being targeted solely because of their personal identity, their actual or perceived racial or ethnic origin, belief or faith."

In Pearson's view this is "stupid" and he called for the law to be clarified.

"Certainly the stricter Muslims do feel offended by Christianity and our belief in Jesus being the only Son of the one true God."

Pearson also says there is a double standard in how hate crime laws are applied to Christianity and Islam.

"You can say what you like about the Virgin Birth, the miracles and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but as soon as you say ‘come on, is Islam really the religion of peace that it claims to be?', all hell breaks loose."

Reports say the Crown Prosecution Service has documented 15,442 hate crime prosecutions in 2015 and 2016.

Those charged include several clerics and street preachers for sharing their views on homosexuality and Islam.

Last year, two senior Spanish clerics were accused by feminists and gay rights groups of committing hate crime after they delivered homilies that criticized gender theory.

Charges against Cardinal Antonio Cañizares and Archbishop Francisco Javier Martinez were immediately dropped after prosecutors found insufficient evidence that they broke the law.

In September a street preacher was convicted of using "threatening and discriminatory language" after he was accused by Muslims of hate speech while he was preaching.

He appealed the conviction arguing English law provides the preacher with the freedom to share the Gospel and that this has been successfully upheld for many years.

The Crown Court judge agreed and overturned the lower court ruling earlier this month.

Source

• Catholic Herald
• Christian Times
• Image: Lancaster online

The three anti-Muslim videos were posted by the deputy head of a British far-right group who has been convicted of a hate crime.

Trump's actions drew criticism from many quarters, including the British government at 10 Downing Street, which said Trump was "wrong" to promote the group's "hateful narratives." Read more

Each year the report collates hate crime statistics from law enforcement agencies across the country.

Its aim is to help provide an accurate accounting of the problem, by state and nationally.

President-elect Donald Trump said he was "very surprised" to hear about them during a US "60 Minutes" interview on Sunday.

"I hate to hear that. I mean, I hate to hear that," he said.

Trump has been accused of fostering racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia.

This view is fueled by his promises to restrict immigration, deport Mexicans, and register Muslims.

He has appointed Steve Bannon, boss of far-right Breitbart website as his chief White House strategist.

Breitbart openly attacks women, Muslims and African-Americans and Jews.

The FBI says the increase in hate crimes began before the 2016 election campaign started.

The report shows crimes against Muslims rose by 70% from 178 in 2014 to 301 in 2015.

The report also records 664 incidents (a 9% increase) against Jews and Jewish institutions "motivated by anti-Semitism" .

Jews and Muslims are banding together to support each other.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which fights against antisemitism and bigotry is strongly condemning all anti Muslim incidents.

A US not-for-profit hate-attack monitoring group, the Southern Poverty Law Center has also been keeping records.

Group spokesperson Mark Potok says it has documented anecdotes of 437 cases of intimidation and abuse towards minorities since last week's general election.

Potok said many anecdotes were linked to President-elect Donald Trump's supporters.

Rizwan Jaka, a Muslim representative spoke on the same 60 Minutes programme as Trump.

She said the Muslim community in has faced a "roller coaster of challenges in the past 15 years, since the horrific attacks of 9/11[...]

"In 2015, over 75 mosques were attacked ...Muslim women that are wearing the scarf are being taunted or harassed or threatened ...".

"And so we're all concerned, and obviously there's bigotry across the spectrum, across all demographics, and we're concerned about it all".

Source

• CBS News
• National Catholic Reporter
• BBC
• The Jerusalem Post
• International Business Times
• Image: hatecrimescotland.org

Dame Susan Devoy said she was disgusted to hear of an attack on a four year-old Jewish boy who was walking home from pre-school in Mt Eden.

The boy was traumatised after a man approached him, then slapped him hard on the top of his head in front of his mother, brother and a friend last week.

The Herald on Sunday said the alleged attacker laughed as he left the scene in a car with four other men.

The attack appeared to have anti-Semitic motivations. The boy was wearing a yarmulke or cap. Continue reading

New statistics released by the Scottish government revealed an increase of 26 per cent in religious hate crimes in 2011-2012. Anti-Catholic attacks made up 58 per cent of all religious hate crimes.

The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, said: "I am saddened by the latest figures on religiously aggravated offending. While most Catholics are safe most of the time, these figures show a side of Scotland which is truly unfortunate.

"Sadly, it seems incontrovertible now that our problem is not so much sectarianism but anti-Catholicism. This is regrettable because popular culture is inventing all kinds of new reasons to marginalise and hate Catholics.

"In the face of this, the Catholic community of Scotland remains steadfast in faith, joyful in hope and fully committed to being part of Scottish society."

Of the 876 religious hate crimes analysed by the Justice Analytical Services, 509 were committed against Catholics. There were 19 attacks against Muslims and 14 against Jews.

Most areas of Scotland saw a rise in religiously aggravated charges since the previous year, with Glasgow being a notable exception.

The number of charges related to football rose from 231 to 267, although the number of hate crimes at football stadiums fell.

The Minister for Community Safety, Roseanna Cunningham, said the government had brought in new legislation to eradicate sectarianism.

"It is completely unacceptable for people to think that offensive religious or sectarian language, or verbal or physical attacks based purely on religious prejudice, have any place in 21st century Scotland," she said.

Sources:

Independent Catholic News

The Scottish Government

Image: STV News