Merve Aydogan
28 July 2026•Update: 28 July 2026
A Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in the US said Tuesday it has documented a 183% increase in incidents targeting Islamic places of worship compared to the same three-month period last year.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it recorded 17 incidents targeting Islamic places of worship in May, June and July to date, representing 51% of the previous year’s total. It documented six incidents during the same period last year.
The incidents include a terroristic attack on a mosque, threats of violence, arson, acts of intimidation and opposition to Islamic places of worship based on religion.
"Islamophobia remains an acceptable form of hate in the US. American places of worship are too often seen as targets for cheap political smears and violence," said CAIR Research and Advocacy Director Corey Saylor.
"It is a duty on community leaders to ensure our sanctuaries remain places for prayer, reflection, and community. Vigilance is a piece of achieving this outcome," he added.
CAIR said researchers often examine the three-month period following a significant incident to determine whether a surge has occurred.
The group pointed to the May 18 attack on the Islamic Center of San Diego, where Amin Abdullah, Mansour Kaziha and Nadir Awad sacrificed their lives to defend children from anti-Muslim white supremacist extremists who attacked the facility.
Noting that it identified 33 incidents explicitly targeting Islamic institutions, including mosques, Islamic community centers or other spaces self-identified as a Muslim place of worship in 2025, CAIR said all reports included in its data set must be sourced from publicly available information, including traditional media or social media posts.
In May, CAIR-NJ reported receiving reports from four mosques in the US state of New Jersey, describing targeted harassment, including threatening phone calls, hate mail and physical intimidation. Law enforcement authorities also alerted CAIR-NJ that six additional mosques had received similar targeted harassment.
CAIR urged community leaders to pre-register for its updated "Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety Guide," which CAIR and North American Islamic Trust expect to release in late August.
