437 hate crime incidents recorded against minorities since Trump’s victory

Southern Poverty Law Center, a group that monitors hate speech in the US, has documented 437 cases of abuse towards minorities between Wednesday, November 9th, the day after presidential election till Tuesday, November 15th.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, an unpleasant reality is rearing its ugly head in. Hate crimes, racial and Islamophobic slurs are on the rise against Muslims, non-whites and homosexuals in America.

A mosque at the Islamic Center of America in Michigan was vandalised in, 2007 with graffiti referencing the 9/11 terror attacks. (Getty Images File)

Since Trump’s triumph, there has been rise in targeted violence against minority groups in the form of hate-speech, offensive graffiti and even physical abuse. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a group that monitors hate speech in the US, has documented 437 cases of abuse towards minorities between Wednesday, November 9th, the day after presidential election till Tuesday, November 15th.

“They’ve been everywhere -- in schools, in places of business like Walmart, on the street,” SPLC President Richard Cohen said on Monday.

Trump’s victory has proved divisive for the American populace, especially since one of his election planks was to keep immigrants and Muslims from coming into the country. Immigrants were targeted the most in cases of hate crime and harassment, according to the SPLC.

Some issued warnings to women that in wearing a hijab, their faith would compromise their personal safety.

Here’s a list of the incidents:

The Nazi symbol and a quote “Make America White Again” popped up at the Quackenbush field in Wellsville last week.

A 24-year-old Muslim school teacher in the US was told to hang herself with her headscarf in a handwritten anonymous note, which said the scarf “isn’t allowed anymore”.

A New York University Muslim student group made a “chilling” discovery after a vandal scrawled the word “Trump!” on a door to their prayer room on the night of the election.

Minnesota high school student Moses Karngbaye said he was terrified to see racist graffiti scrawled inside a bathroom.

The day after Trump’s victory, an unidentified person painted racist messages referencing the election on a wall in Durham in North Carolina, according to WNCN.

A Durham business owner said offensive graffiti was painted on a wall near the busy intersection of Main and Fayetteville streets.

A note reading “Bye Bye Latinos Hasta La Vista” was found on a whiteboard in Kivette Hall Room 100 at Elon University.

Donald Trump, in an interview after his victory, said he was “so saddened” to hear about vitriol hurled by some of his supporters against minorities.

“If it helps, I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it,” said Trump.

Anti-Trump demonstrators have taken to the streets in 25 major cities, protesting and chanting, “Not my President”.

(With inputs from agencies)

The author tweets at @rizviuzair.