Religious-Liberty-Annual-Report

Section VII – The Religious Liberty Forecast for 2024 39

A threat to the safety of a house of worship is a threat to religious liberty.

ceived constituency. Although the trajectory of this phenomenon re mains uncertain, it is more likely to escalate in 2024 than deescalate. E. Continuing Antisemitic and Anti-Muslim Sen timent The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas will likely continue to fuel antisemitism and anti-Muslim senti ment here in the United States. A particular concern is the potential for an at tack on a synagogue or mosque. A threat to the safe ty of a house of worship is a threat to religious liberty. The possibility that the elevated tensions will produce terrorist attacks like the Tree of Life Synagogue mass shooting in Pittsburgh in 2018, or the mass shooting at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, is painfully real.

CNS screen grab/Facebook, Lennon Pregnancy Center

D. Vandalism and Arson of Churches and Preg nancy Resource Centers It is difficult to predict whether the rate of anti-Cath olic and generally anti-Christian property crimes will rise or fall in 2024. While the rate seems unlikely to equal the burst of attacks that were carried out in 2022 after the Dobbs decision was issued, the presidential election may generate an increase, as hostility toward anti-abortion Republicans may manifest as hostility to ward socially conservative Christians, the party’s per