Top US lawyers concerned about rise of anti-Muslim threats across the country

The top US attorneys from 11 US states including California and Colorado have expressed concerns about an increase in anti-Muslim threats, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.

The department said local authorities and community members across the US would hold town meeting-style discussions "to address backlash against Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian Americans following the tragic terrorist attacks in Brussels, Paris and San Bernardino".

"There is no place for intolerance in our country," Attorney General Loretta Lynch said. 

"In the weeks and months ahead, the Department of Justice will continue to work with local law enforcement partners and community leaders to defend the safety and the dignity of all our people."

The incidents have included a man who pleaded guilty to opening fire outside a mosque in Connecticut, and another man who threatened to bomb two mosques and shoot worshipers, among many others.

Since the 11 September attacks, the Justice Department has investigated more than 1,000 cases of threats or violence against people from or believed to be from certain communities. 

"These events underscore our ongoing commitment to safeguard the civil rights of every American - including Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian Americans, who are so often the targets of threats on the basis of their appearance or religion," Lynch said.

Last December, the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) documented 63 instances of vandalism against mosques and Muslims throughout 2015. Their documentation is based on media reports and data compiled by the organisation’s regional offices.

A spokesman for CAIR, Corey Saylor, said that the number is probably much higher than reported.