(C) Arizona Mirror
This story was originally published by Arizona Mirror and is unaltered.
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When hate targets one community, no one is safe. We can’t look the other way. [1]
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Date: 2025-04-10
Hate doesn’t stay in one lane. When one community is attacked, others are always next. We’ve seen this cycle play out in Arizona and across the country. And right now, the alarm bells aren’t just ringing—they’re blaring.
In 2023, Arizona saw 163 antisemitic incidents, more than eight times the number in 2019, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). These weren’t abstract events; they were real acts of hate —141 cases of harassment, 22 instances of vandalism and a reported assault.
These numbers aren’t just statistics. They represent families forced to question their safety, children afraid to wear their religious symbols and communities wondering who will stand with them.
One of us was recently the target of a threat so explicit, it made national headlines. The message contained a chilling promise: if a certain legal ruling wasn’t overturned, the sender would execute “every Jew” they could find by sundown on the Sabbath. It named locations. It glorified Hitler. It referenced current events in Israel and Gaza as justification. It was a calculated attempt to terrorize, an attempt mitigated by the support of law enforcement and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).
This is where we are.
But here’s the truth: This isn’t just a Jewish problem — it’s everyone’s problem.
Hate has become emboldened. It is spreading unchecked, infiltrating every corner of our communities. Christian churches that provide aid to asylum seekers are facing threats. Women clergy are being harassed mid-sermon. LGBTQIA+ places of worship are being vandalized. Mosques are under attack. A Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints center was recently targeted.
These are not isolated incidents. They are signals of a larger, more insidious problem.
Hate is no longer hiding. It’s parading in broad daylight.
What was once unthinkable — rallies featuring Nazi imagery, threats against religious leaders and targeted harassment campaigns — is now becoming routine here in Arizona. The same extremists who harass synagogues are turning their attention to LGBTQIA+ congregations, immigrant-supporting churches, and all those who believe that every person deserves to live safely and thrive, no matter their beliefs or the color of their skin.
History has shown us this pattern before. When hate takes hold, it never stops at one group. And yet, too many remain silent, believing it won’t come for them.
It will.
Hate is no longer just an abstract threat. It is an active force, poisoning our schools, our streets and our online spaces. Our children are growing up in a world where bigotry isn’t merely tolerated — it’s spreading unchecked through social media, in their classrooms and even on their sports fields. What kind of world are we allowing them to inherit?
We can stop this. But only if we act — together.
On April 11, 2025, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Desert Region, in partnership with Arizona State University, will host the first annual Rising Above Together Conference. This isn’t just another panel discussion. This is a call to action.
We are gathering faith leaders, educators, law enforcement, students and community members to take a stand against hate before it’s too late. This conference will equip attendees with real, actionable tools to fight back — because silence is no longer an option.
We teach our children to be upstanders, not bystanders. It’s time we hold ourselves to the same standard.
If you believe in a future where no one has to live in fear, this is your moment.
Show up. Speak out. Stand together.
Because if we don’t stop hate now, who will?
[END]
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[1] Url:
https://azmirror.com/2025/04/10/when-hate-targets-one-community-no-one-is-safe-we-cant-look-the-other-way/
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