The Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations has seen an uptick in Islamophobic hate speech as Israel’s war with Hamas continues.
Adam Soltani, the organization’s executive director, said since the war began Oct. 7, CAIR-Oklahoma has received several hate emails and phone calls and been targeted in social media posts. There’s also been an increase in reports of discrimination and other hate-related conduct.
Before the war erupted, the hateful rhetoric had largely died down in the years since President Joe Biden was elected, he said.
Soltani said one message contained vulgar language and called him a “terrorist.” Soltani also provided Oklahoma Voice with a copy of a recent social media post that he reported to the FBI where someone appears to threaten to use a weapon to harm peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters.
He said all messages reference the conflict that began this fall when Hamas militants attacked Israel and killed an estimated 1,200 people and injured thousands more. Israel quickly retaliated and vowed to eliminate Hamas in Gaza. Over 17,000 Palestinians have been killed since Oct. 7, according to Gaza Health Ministry reports.
Soltani said most Oklahoma mosques and Islamic centers have maintained a relatively quiet stance, and there have been no reports of vandalism and violence.
The Anti-Defamation League did not return a message seeking comment about antisemitism in Oklahoma.
However, the group’s website shows that there have been 32 “antisemitic incidents” reported in 2023 in Oklahoma. In 2022, the group reported 11.
Soltani said he believes CAIR-Oklahoma has been targeted because it has been the most vocal in terms of “trying to uplift Palestinian voices and trying to balance out the hyperfocus … in politics and media coverage as far as presenting the Israeli side of things.”
CAIR-Oklahoma is advocating for an immediate ceasefire and then a path forward to achieve a permanent state of peace in the region, Soltani said.