Muslim activist groups in the United Sates expressed alarm at the Ohio incident, calling it another example of bigotry and heightened Islamophobia. Muslim women are the targets in 80 percent of anti-Muslim hate crimes reported in the U.S. One group is helping Muslim-American women in hijab protect themselves against their attackers. The tourist, Ahmed al-Menhali, was detained at gunpoint last week in Avon, Ohio, after a suspicious hotel clerk alerted relatives, who called 911. Emirati officials in traditional attire at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Feb. 8, 2016. In Tunisia, Afghanistan and Indonesia, Muslim militants have increasingly sought out Western tourists and facilities for attack, aiming to drive out other Westerners and shore up their religious appeal.

Source: Washington Post July 03, 2016 17:45 UTC