Religious-Liberty-Annual-Report

VI – National Trends in Politics, Culture, and Law

A. Politics and Culture

olic sites. In the annual hate crimes statistics for 2022 that the FBI released in October 2023, a higher proportion of anti-Catholic crimes were property crimes — nearly 75% — than for any other bias. 43 Before the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organiza tion , 44 the bulk of offenses occurred at churches and often involved defacement of religious icons or images, such as statues of Jesus or Mary. After Dobbs , and continuing into 2023, the offenses in creasingly involved pro-abortion messages, such as spray-painting the slogan, “If abortion isn’t safe, then neither are you.” Many such offenses targeted pro-life pregnancy centers rather than churches. Catholic churches in Ohio saw a notable uptick in vandalism in the weeks preceding the state’s vote

1. Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Sentiment The vicious terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, and the tragic conflict that has ensued in Israel and Gaza, have unleashed waves of antisemitic and anti-Muslim prejudice and hate here in the United States and across the globe. The Anti-Defamation League and the Coun cil on American-Islamic Relations have each re ported dramatic increases in bias incidents against Jews and Muslims since October 7. 41 FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in a Senate hearing that antisemitism in the United States is reaching “his toric levels.” 42 It has been particularly shocking to witness open, unchecked calls for the genocide of our Jewish brothers and sisters — a stark reminder of the persistence of one of humanity’s oldest and darkest prejudices. While the current manifestations of antise mitic and anti-Muslim sentiments have complex roots that are partially geopolitical, there is an in extricable anti-religious element to them, and they may manifest in ways that imperil the exercise of religion. For instance, a Jew may fear for his safety wearing a yarmulke in public or while attending services at his synagogue, or a Muslim may fear ha rassment for engaging in daily prayer at work. 2. Vandalism and Attacks on Churches and Pro-life Pregnancy Centers Recent years have seen an alarming rate of vandal ism, arson, and other property destruction at Cath

Recent years have seen an alarming rate of vandalism, arson, and other property destruction at Catholic sites.

OSV News photo/courtesy Diocese of Brooklyn

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