A/58/296 41. According to information received, even if the wave of attacks against Muslims in general and Arabs in particular immediately following the events of 11 September 2001 had eased by November 2001, the number of attacks and other acts against Muslims remained at a significantly higher level than before 11 September 2001. Furthermore, even if, on the whole, the authorities dealt properly with such violations, a number of preventive measures could have been taken to avoid them. 42. By way of illustration, the Special Rapporteur mentioned the following incidents. 43. With respect to the violence, on 21 February 2003, in Irvington (New Jersey), a Muslim was allegedly attacked and beaten by two men who accused him of being a terrorist. On 22 February 2003, at Yorba Linda (California), Rashid Alam, a young Lebanese-American, was reportedly severely beaten by a gang of about 20 young people shouting anti-Arab slogans. On February 2003, in Santa Clara, California, a Muslim woman wearing religious dress was allegedly struck in the face. 44. With respect to the attacks on places of worship, on 19 November, in Oswego County (New York), four young persons allegedly set fire to the Gobind Sadan, an interfaith centre, believing that the persons who attended the centre were Osama bin Laden sympathizers. On 25 March 2002, Charles Franklin, who allegedly said that he hated Muslims, reportedly drove his pickup truck into an Islamic centre after the evening prayer. On 11 June 2002, in Milpitas (California), vandals allegedly burst into a mosque and proffered anti-Arab insults. On 24 August 2002, the authorities reportedly foiled a plan by Robert Goldstein to blow up about 50 mosques and Islamic cultural centres in southern Florida. On 11 March 2002, two shots were fired at a large mosque in Chicago where about 100 people were worshipping. 45. With respect to incidents concerning employment, in December 2001, in Phoenix (Arizona), Bilan Nur was dismissed by her employer, Alamo Rent A Car, for having worn her veil during Ramadan. On 4 January 2002, the Worcester Art Museum, in Worcester (Massachusetts), allegedly dismissed Zia Ayub, a Muslim who worked there as a guard, on grounds of religious affiliation. 46. With respect to statements made by public figures, on 9 November 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft reportedly said on the radio that “Islam is a religion in which God requires you to send your son to die for him. Christianity is a faith in which God sends his son to die for you.” On 5 August 2002, the evangelist Franklin Graham, among other statements against Muslims, reportedly said on television that Islam is a “very evil and wicked religion”. 47. With respect to certain anti-terrorist measures taken by the authorities, in January 2003, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) allegedly issued new directives ordering FBI field offices to conduct an inventory of mosques in order to determine the targets for anti-terrorist investigations. 48. The Special Rapporteur wishes to remind the United States authorities of their responsibilities regarding the need to confront Islamophobia and Arabophobia. He stresses the urgent need for Muslims and followers of other religions to respect international legal norms, particularly articles 18 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The role of public figures and the media is crucial in this regard. 9