by Hussein Ibish

About the author: Hussein Ibish is the communications director for the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, an organization that works to protect civil rights and promote a balanced U.S. policy in the Middle East. He is a frequent spokesperson for the organization.

The atrocities of September 11 [2001]1 provoked a backlash involving a surge of hate crimes against the Arab-American, Muslim, Sikh, South Asian and other communities perceived to be Middle Eastern. In September 2001, ADC [American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee] received an unprecedented number of reports from claimants in 41 states and the District of Columbia alleging violent incidents directed at Arab Americans or those perceived to be Arab Americans. ADC defines "violent incidents" as involving either physical violence of some kind or a direct threat of a specific act of violence.

In September...