SAN FRANCISCO, May 21: There was a sharp increase last year over the previous year in discrimination by law enforcement authorities against American Muslims, according to a report by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). The report, called “Unequal Protection”, said that by far the greatest increase, in both real and proportional terms, occurred in the areas of unreasonable arrests, detentions, searches/seizures, and interrogations.

“In 2003, complaints concerning law enforcement agencies accounted for only seven per cent of all reported incidents. In 2004, however, these reports rose to almost 26 per cent of all cases.”

The CAIR’s office-bearers attributed the change to the increase of Islamophobia encouraged by the growing use of anti-Muslim rhetoric by some local and national opinion leaders and unwise federal legislation and policy violating civil rights.

“We call on President Bush, whose statements after the 9/11 attacks were so important in helping to protect the well-being of the American Muslim community, to once again speak out against Islamophobic attitudes,” said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad, who called on Congress to hold hearings on the findings of the report.