- Title: Lynch acknowledges fears of Muslims, amid rising hate crimes
- Date: 12th December 2016
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 12, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE MARCHING FROM DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MARCHERS HOLDING SIGNS PROTESTERS MARCHING BY "NO MUSLIM REGISTRY. NOT NOW. NOT EVER." SIGN MARCHERS PROTESTING MAN HOLDING "I AM MY BROTHER'S KEEPER" AND "DUMP TRUMP" SIGNS FEET OF PROTESTERS GOING BY PROTESTER MARCHING BY POLICE CAR PROTESTERS MARCHING DOWN STREET PROTESTERS MARCHING BY TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL PROTESTERS FRONT OF PROTEST PROTESTER CHANTING PROTEST SIGN PROTESTERS CHANTING PROTESTERS MARCHING BY PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH CAPITOL DOME IN BACKGROUND PROTESTERS HOLDING SIGNS PROTESTERS MARCHING BY PROTESTERS WITH SIGNS GOING TOWARD WHITE HOUSE PROTESTERS MARCHING WITH WHITE HOUSE IN BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 27th December 2016 21:01
- Keywords: Muslims Loretta Lynch protests
- Location: STERLING, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES / WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: STERLING, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES / WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA0035CKYTZB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday (December 12) sought to reassure members of a Washington, D.C.-area mosque that the U.S. Department of Justice will continue to aggressively prosecute hate crimes.
She spoke to members of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center in Sterling, Virginia Monday morning and told them she understood their fear after what she called, "the recent eruption of divisive rhetoric as we note the hateful deeds we've been talking about. I know that many Americans are wondering if they are in danger simply because of what they look like or where they pray. I know that some are wondering if the progress that we have made at such great cost, and over so many years, is in danger of sliding backwards."
The recent U.S. presidential campaign has been one of the most divisive in recent memory, punctuated with controversial comments from then presidential candidate Donald Trump.
FBI statistics released last month show reported that crimes against Muslims rose by 67 percent in 2015, to their highest number since the September 11th attacks.
In Washington, D.C., a group of Muslims and members of other faiths marched against reports that Trump will reinstate the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System. Under NSEERS, people from countries deemed "higher risk" were required to undergo interrogations and fingerprinting on entering the United States. Some non-citizen male U.S. residents over the age of 16 from countries with active militant threats were required to register in person at government offices and periodically check in.
NSEERS was abandoned in 2011 after it was deemed redundant by the Department of Homeland Security and criticized by civil rights groups for unfairly targeting immigrants from Muslim- majority nations.
The protest started at the U.S. Department of Justice and continued down Pennsylvania Avenue past Trump International Hotel and concluded outside the White House. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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