New York: Hate crimes against Muslims in the US have shown a 17-fold increase in 2001 in the wake of Sept 11 terrorist strikes, and the government has detained thousands of Arabs and Muslims, thereby contradicting its anti-prejudice message, Human Rights watchdog group has said.

The Human Rights Watch said government agencies made "vigorous" efforts to contain hate crimes, but they should have been better prepared for such a situation.

"Government officials didn't sit on their hands while Muslims and Arabs were attacked after September 11. But law enforcement and other government agencies should have been better prepared for this kind of onslaught," said Amardeep Singh, programme researcher and author of the report.

Anti-Muslim hate crimes recorded a huge spurt, from 28 in 2000 to 481 in 2001, the federal government reported. Muslim and Arab organisations received over 2,000 complaints of harassment, violence and other kinds of bias, the report said.

While lauding condemnation of "backlash" violence by US President George Bush and prominent officials, it said the government contradicted its anti-prejudice message by directing its anti-terrorism efforts, including secret immigration detention and FBI interviews of thousands of non-citizens, at Arabs and Muslims.

"Since September 11, a pall of suspicion has been cast over Arabs and Muslims in the US," said Singh. "Public officials can help reduce bias violence against them by ensuring that the 'war against terrorism' is focussed on criminal behaviour rather than whole communities."

PTI