‘Hotbeds Of Hate’: NJ Report Examines Latest Anti-Muslim Cases

NEWARK, NJ — A nonprofit advocacy group in New Jersey has released an updated report about “Islamophobia” and “anti-Muslim hate” in the Garden State.

On Monday, the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) announced the results of its 2025 Civil Rights Report at a press conference outside the Statehouse in Trenton.

CAIR-NJ said it received 290 complaints in 2024, which is similar to last year’s total of 309 – but “significantly greater” than previous years.

The nonprofit, which is based in Newark, identified two “hotbeds of hate” in the state: Bergen County, which saw 42 complaints, and Middlesex County, which saw 43. Other counties that saw a large number of complaints in 2024 included Essex (34) and Passaic (32).

According to the group, some of the findings in their report included:

• “Middle Eastern and North African individuals were disproportionately represented in the category of hate incidents and crimes, comprising of 51% of the complaints in this category.”
• “Employment discrimination is still the top category, followed by hate crimes and incidents.”
• “Education-related complaints are at all-time high for New Jersey.”
• “While Muslim women faced more discrimination in employment and education, Muslim men were disproportionately affected by hate-related and watchlist complaints.”
• There has been an “uptick in FBI interrogation complaints.”
• “School bullying targeting Muslims has increased.”

The group pointed to several complaints that were reported in New Jersey last year as examples. See the full list here.

“As a global community, we must reject and eradicate bigotry,” CAIR-NJ executive director Selaedin Maksut said.

“Governments must foster social cohesion and protect religious freedom,” Maksut urged.

CAIR-NJ said there has been a “surge of bias” in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023, which was even greater than the spike that followed the 9/11 attacks.

“This surge faced by Muslims was largely tied to the unconstitutional crackdown of dissenting opinion and the dehumanization of Palestinians and Muslims,” said Dyaa Terpstra, the author of this year’s report.

“Public officials at all levels of government, corporate leaders, and school and university administration, must respect free speech and the value of human life,” Terpstra said.

The Anti-Defamation League has pointed out that antisemitic incidents have also been rising for Jewish residents of New Jersey in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack, with the cities and towns of Teaneck, Englewood, Paterson, Clifton, Montclair, West Orange and South Orange among those that have seen some of the “most concerning antisemitic activity in the region in this period.”

• See Related: 2.6K Bias Incidents Fueled NJ's Largest Hate Crime Surge to Date: AG

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