Arabs and Muslims Face Hate in Philadelphia, As Israel Carries Out Genocide in Gaza

Yaqeen Yamani

Since October 7, when violence in Palestine and Israel escalated, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has received more than 1,283 reports nationwide of anti-Muslim or anti-Arab bias. CAIR, which is the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, calls the increase “unprecedented.” The greater Philadelphia area has also seen a rise in bias incidents, said Ahmet Takelioglu, the executive director of CAIR’s Philadelphia chapter.

In an interview with al-Bustan, Takelioglu cited several incidents. Firstly, in the early hours of October 19, an individual vandalized the United Muslim Islamic Center (UMIC) in the city’s Point Breeze neighborhood, according to UMIC president, Qasim Rashad. The individual drew graffiti on the mosque's windows and door which read: “Muslim men are stupid and dumb,” and “Sunnah women are stupid,” Rashad told al-Bustan in an interview.

Graffiti was painted on the front doors and windows of the United Muslim Islamic Center (UMIC) in South Philadelphia. CAIR-Philadelphia has called for a hate crime investigation into the incident.

Then, on November 2, Takelioglu explains, another mosque was defaced. The word “Terrorist” was painted on the door of the Khair Community Center in Phoenixville, PA. Both incidents were reported to the police. Leaders of both mosques quickly removed the graffiti, out of concern for the well-being of their communities.

Khair Community Center in Phoenixville was defaced with a hate message written on the mosque’s main door.

But it’s not just mosques that have been impacted, Takelioglu says. Many Muslim and Arab students on college campuses are struggling and concerned for their safety as well.

“We’ve had students scream ‘terrorists’ at other students for simply wearing a keffiyeh on campus,” said 22-year-old Temple University student Rana Seoudi in an interview with al-Bustan. The president of Temple’s Muslim Students Association, Seoudi says she was disappointed by “one-sided” statements released by the university president, Richard M. Englert. “They’ve further alienated [Muslim and Arab students] and put us in more danger,” said the Egyptian-born Seoudi.

Takelioglu says he is saddened but not surprised by these incidents. “If you pump so much dehumanization of Muslims into the media, if political leaders subscribe to the language of not seeing Muslims as people, or Arabs as worthwhile of dignity, then this is what you get,” he said of the media’s bias in covering the violence in Palestine. Takelioglu adds that many of the city’s Arabs and Muslims are experiencing a level of fear and anxiety reminiscent of the post-9/11 era.

Vandals wrote the word “Terrorist” on the door of the mosque at Khair Community Center in Phoenixville, PA.

Palestinian-American Mohammad Abuhillo, who runs the Philadelphia Arabs Facebook page, agrees. “Palestinians feel like they're a target,” said Abuhillo, 47, in an interview with al-Bustan. He says he has been disappointed that some non-Arab community members have been hesitant to support Palestinians. “Everybody is really careful with what they say and do. And it shouldn't be that way. I mean, everybody has the freedom of speech to say whatever they want. But at this point, that's really not the case.”

The Northeast Philadelphia-based Abuhillo, who has spent years working to amplify the voices of the city’s Arab-American community, drew parallels between the current climate and that of the post 9/11 era. This time, he says, you can't have a reasonable interview with a journalist. “The first question they ask you is: ‘Do you condemn what happened on October 7? And do you agree that Israel has the right to defend itself?’ And it's almost kind of a trap before you even start your interview.”

“The post-9/11 trauma created better interfaith networks and organic relationships,” says Takelioglu. “Our communities have always been resilient and strong.”

***

Yaqeen Yamani is a Palestinian photographer based in Philadelphia. She holds a BA in Media Studies from Al-Quds Bard College, and is currently pursuing her MFA in photography at Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She interned at InLiquid Gallery in 2023 and is a member of La La Lil Jidar Collective.