Incidents targeting mosques and Islamic institutions in the United States increased by 183 per cent between May and July 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to figures released by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The organisation recorded 17 incidents targeting Islamic institutions during the three-month period, compared with six between May and July 2025. The figures, released on July 28, account for 51 per cent of the 33 such incidents documented by CAIR throughout 2025.
The increase follows a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego in May, in which three members of the Muslim community were killed. Two teenage suspects also died following the attack. Authorities investigated the shooting as a possible hate crime, while CAIR said it may have been motivated by anti-Muslim hatred.
The incidents documented by CAIR included threats of violence, alleged arson attempts, intimidation, a terror attack on a mosque and opposition to Islamic places of worship on religious grounds. The organisation cautioned that its figures may not capture the full extent of the problem, as some incidents could go unreported.
Bomb threats and attacks on mosques
Among the incidents highlighted by CAIR was a bomb threat at the Islamic Association of Raleigh in North Carolina, which led to the mosque being evacuated. Police searched the premises but found no explosive device.
In Pennsylvania, the Northeast Philadelphia Islamic Centre faced an alleged attempted arson attack. A suspect was arrested, and CAIR said investigators later found anti-Muslim messages displayed on his vehicle.
The American Islamic Community Center in Madison Heights, Michigan, also received death threats. Prosecutors subsequently charged a man with allegedly making a false terrorism threat and using a computer to commit a crime.
Other incidents included an alleged threat against the Sunnyside Muslim Centre in New York ahead of Friday prayers and threats outside the Islamic Centre of Wilmington in North Carolina. CAIR said a man was filmed making statements about destroying the building.
The organisation also recorded threatening phone calls to mosques and an incident in Minnesota in which a man allegedly posed as a federal agent while carrying a knife outside a mosque.
In February, shots were fired at the Pike County Islamic Center in Matamoras, Pennsylvania. Four bullets struck the building, but no injuries were reported. CAIR called for the incident to be investigated as a hate crime.
CAIR urges mosques to strengthen security
The organisation also raised concerns over opposition to mosque construction projects, saying some disputes appeared to involve anti-Muslim hostility rather than routine planning objections.
CAIR urged mosque leaders to review their safety procedures and strengthen security measures in response to the increase in reported incidents.
“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 Corey Saylor, CAIR’s research and advocacy director.
