Anti-Muslim Group Puts Des Plaines On SPLC's 'Hate Map'

DES PLAINES, IL — The presence of a local chapter of the nation's largest anti-Muslim group means Des Plaines remained on the latest edition of a nationwide map of hate groups released Tuesday. The suburb is home to a chapter of Act for America, which claims to have more than 1 million members and is classified as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Policy Law Center.

The anti-Muslim group is registered as a public policy tax-exempt nonprofit in Washington, D.C. and describes itself as "an advocacy organization that trains and mobilizes citizens to speak out for the adoption and implementation of strong and effective national security policies." Its critics say it stokes fear and Islamophobia, promotes "wild anti-Muslim conspiracy theories" and spreads hate speech targeting the American Muslim community.

Act for America was formed in 2007 as the successor to an organization devoted to promoting books and appearances by its founder, Brigitte Gabriel, a Lebanese Maronite Christian born Hanan Qahwaji who in 2016 said she delivered a "national security briefing" at Mar-A-Lago and has a "direct line to Donald Trump."

The group says its chapters operate independently but must abide by an official policy statement, which says "anyone who traffics in prejudice or advocates violence in any way toward anyone" does not speak on its behalf. Its policy statement said the group does not tolerate targeting anyone based on their religion and is focused on continuing to "address the threat presented by those who seek to destroy our Western way of life through advocating violence or radical religious discrimination through hate groups, such as those represented by movements like radical Islam." The SPLC has listed Act for America as a hate group since 2015.

The SPLC's updated interactive map version allows users to see more details, including which states have the most hate groups per capita and how the number of hate groups has changed over time at the state and national level.

The group identified 1,020 active hate groups operating in the country last year, a record high and a 30 percent increase over the last four years. Moreover, an estimated 40 people were killed in North America in radical right terrorist attacks last year and there were more than 1,200 incidents of hate groups passing out flyers.

Heidi Beirich, director of the Intelligence Project, which publishes the award-winning Intelligence Report and the Hatewatch blog, said in a release it’s become “critically important” that people understand what she called “the landscape of hate.” The number of these groups is surging in the era of President Donald Trump, who has faced fierce criticism for his anti-immigrant rhetoric.

“We hope the new, interactive map helps people recognize and better understand the extremist activity occurring in their communities and how it’s part of a larger movement,” said Beirich.

The map allows users to filter by ideologies tracked by the organization. Some of the categories include anti-immigrant, anti-LGBT, anti-muslim, holocaust denial, Ku Klux Klan, male supremacy, Neo-Nazi, racist skinhead and white nationalist.

The map shows that states with the most hate groups per capita tend to be concentrated in the Southeast, northern Rocky Mountain regions and western Great Plains. This includes Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas, as well as Idaho and Montana.

Meanwhile, several states in the Midwest saw the least number of hate groups per capita. Among these states were Kansas, Iowa and Wyoming.

In a video accompanying the report, the group says there were roughly 375 hate groups nationwide in 1999. That number has ballooned over the years to more than 1,000 this year. Beirich called the rise “disturbing” and said it’s no coincidence the rise coincides with Trump’s election.

“The trend is unmistakable,” she said in the video. “Trump has energized the radical right by fanning the flames of racial resentment over immigration and the country’s changing demographics.”

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.