Religious acceptance promotes equality in times of global crisis

The U.S. is made up of millions of people of different ethnicities and backgrounds, but they are all united under a common nationality. In times of heightened worldwide tensions, such as the current war in Iran, many Americans seem to disregard their shared nationality in the name of prejudice. Instead, many attach the actions of a country to the associated religious group in the U.S., leading to increased hate crimes and violence. Promoting religious tolerance is the first step toward making all religious affiliations feel safe to practice their beliefs.
Recently, according to PBS News, anti-Muslim rhetoric has surged since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28. Out of fear and uncertainty about being targets of racially motivated violence and due to the increase in Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] raids, many Muslim communities are uncertain about gathering to take part in Ramadan traditions.
This has been a pattern throughout history, with places of worship being the targets of violence. According to First Liberty, attacks on churches spiked in 2023, totaling 430 incidents, more than double that of 2022. While about 73% of these incidents were vandalism, the rest included larger threats of violence, including bomb threats, gun attacks and arson. Expanding beyond churches, 2023 also saw a 71.4% increase in attacks on Jewish synagogues, according to the Combat Antisemitism Movement, totaling 15 attacks. While churches and temples should be places of peace and worship, uncertainty about the safety of practicing one’s religion has drastically increased in the past few years, and worldwide conflict only heightens these concerns.
As social media makes communication more accessible, it also serves as a vehicle for spreading hate. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has studied the connection between online hate speech and hate crimes. They found that online extremism is a major exacerbator of existing prejudices against minority religious groups. Interfaith America stated that online hate poses a threat to religious freedom beyond the screen. The rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia is documented to have increased as a result of online hate “othering” minority groups and bringing a resurgence of hate speech and imagery.
According to The Association of Religion Archives, Ventura County has over 430,000 residents who identify with a certain religious group. The most dominant religion, which is non-denominational Christian, has over 40,000 members and 46 congregations. Similarly, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 34 congregations and Jehovah’s Witnesses have 48 as of 2020. With over 487 congregations in Ventura County alone, members of any religious affiliation should not spend their holidays in fear of discrimination. To combat the fear that some feel at their place of worship, Gov. Gavin Newsom passed California SB 1454 in 2025. In this bill, religious institutions were encouraged to increase on-site security and keep records of employees’ training.
The American Psychological Association states that the reason for intolerance with different religions is because of how the human brain reacts emotionally to something that they do not know well. If prejudice is rooted in fear of the unfamiliar and new, then the solution is not judgment but understanding. American citizens should have the right to freely practice their religion without having any fear of being targeted. As the threat of war approaches, it is more important than ever to learn how to co-exist regardless of faith-based rituals and practices.