Chicago Plays Down an Antisemitic Hate Crime

Excerpt

A Mauritanian man who illegally entered the U.S. went to West Rogers Park, Chicago’s largest Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, on Oct. 26 and allegedly shot a man on his way to synagogue. City officials quickly began playing down what had happened. The deputy police chief, asked at a news conference if the victim was Jewish, said only that he was “from the community.” For two days after the attack, they released only the suspect’s age, 22, with no other identifying information.

When the Chicago Police Department announced felony charges on Oct. 28, the public was told only the defendant’s name—Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi—and a registered address. Police wouldn’t say if they were investigating the matter as either a hate crime or an act of terrorism. Authorities also refused to comment on doorbell-camera footage that showed the shooter yelling “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for “God is great,” which Islamic extremists often utter while committing terrorist acts. Police suggested to Jewish leaders that labeling the event a hate crime could lead to accusations of “hate toward the Muslim faith.”