US Attorney General to Visit Virginia Mosque Amid Spike in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will visit a mosque in Northern Virginia next week amid a sharp increase in hate crimes that target Muslims.

Lynch is scheduled to visit the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center, aka The Adams Center, in Sterling on Monday morning.

She will travel to New York the following day for a discussion with gay, lesbian and transgender youth at Harvey Milk High School, and to visit the Stonewall Inn and Stonewall National Monument.

FBI statistics released last month show reported hate crimes against Muslims rose by 67 percent in 2015 to their highest number since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

There were 257 reported incidents of anti-Muslim bias in 2015, compared to 154 the year before.

Lynch has said the numbers should be "deeply sobering for all Americans."

Many attendees of the mosque, which is one of the largest in the D.C. region, told News4 last month they worry Trump will ban Muslims from entering the country.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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