FBI widens list of groups subject to hate crimes

For Raed Jarrar, the FBI’s recent decision to begin tracking hate crimes against Arabs is a victory in a larger war.

“This is just one part of fixing the system, because unfortunately many hate crimes against Arab Americans have not been noticed,” said Jarrar, spokesman for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

In addition to its June 5 decision on tracking anti-Arab hate crimes, the FBI has agreed to track crimes against a number of religious groups it has never before included. The new categories include reporting crimes committed against Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Orthodox Christians.