Time to hang your heads in shame. The New York Times is reporting an uptick in hate crimes against American Muslims, the “Most Since Post 9/11 Era.”

A report from researchers at California State University, San Bernardino, claims an estimated 260 anti-Muslim hate crimes occurred in 2015. And while the researchers acknowledge a string of terror attacks in Europe and the US as part of the cause, they lay the bulk of the blame at the feet of — you guessed it — Donald Trump. “We’re seeing these stereotypes and derogative statements become part of the political discourse. The bottom line is we’re talking about a significant increase in these types of hate crimes,” said Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at the San Bernardino campus.

I am no apologist for Donald Trump. I may not even vote for him. But Trump has tapped into understandable fears that have been simmering in American consciousness since 9/11. And while Hillary Clinton wants to welcome Muslim refugees from Syria, Americans are pushing back.

Hate crimes? Here are some real “hate crimes,” where innocent Americans actually died:

• The 2009 terror attack at Ft. Hood, TX, where Army Maj. Nidal Hasan shot and killed 13 people and wounded over 30 more. His motive? He was a self-proclaimed “Soldier of Allah.”
• The 2015 terror attack in San Bernardino, CA, at a Christmas party where 14 people were killed. The husband-wife perpetrators had pledged themselves to ISIS.
• The June, 2016, terror attack in Orlando, FL, by a gunman who opened fire on revelers in a nightclub. His motive? Oh, yes, he had pledged himself to ISIS, too.
• And how can anyone forget this scene at the Boston Marathon in 2013, where two brothers placed bombs in pressure cookers? The carnage included three dead, including an 8-year-old boy. Motive once again? Islamic terrorism.

And just yesterday, a pipe bomb exploded in New Jersey at a charity race to benefit military veterans. The device had been placed in a trash can. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it is being investigated as possible terrorism.

Late last night, two incidents shocked neighborhoods in New York City. The first was a blast from an explosive device placed in a dumpster. Here is a surveillance video which is said to have captured the explosion, followed by people fleeing down the sidewalk.

https://youtu.be/Y-wT43_XR5A

At least 29 people were injured, with 24 hospitalized.

At least 29 people hurt in NYC explosion; 24 of them have been hospitalized, officials say. https://t.co/LNAJBK7PjT pic.twitter.com/vfnB3kJYqu

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 18, 2016

Mayor Bill de Blasio stated that there was no indication of terrorism, but the explosion was “intentional.”

Mayor: No indication explosion in New York was related to terrorism, but it was intentional. https://t.co/LNAJBK7PjT pic.twitter.com/IMp9v5ybn3

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 18, 2016

Well, thank you, Captain Obvious! And here I thought that maybe someone had discarded a Samsung Galaxy Note phone into the trash.

Shortly thereafter, a second explosive device was found a few blocks away — a pressure cooker device. Shades of the Boston Marathon. Fortunately, this one did not detonate.

2nd device found near area of New York explosion appears to be a pressure cooker with wires, officials say. https://t.co/LNAJBK7PjT

— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) September 18, 2016

Unless I’m missing my guess, that one was probably intentional, too. Islamic terrorism? At this time, it’s still inconclusive.

But wait, that’s not all.

In St. Cloud, MN, last night, eight people were taken to a hospital after a stabbing rampage at a shopping mall. The assailant, who was shot dead by police, was reported to have yelled the infamous “Allah Akbar!” during the attacks.

Police Chief says regarding #Minnesota #Stabbing: suspect yelled Allah Akbar & asked people if they were Muslim during attack

— Heather Childers (@HeatherChilders) September 18, 2016

But, according to the California State researchers and the New York Times we’re seeing a wave of anti-Muslim hate crimes. Ironic, isn’t it, that the Times published this report on a day marked by multiple terror attacks in a nation which has seen its fill of violence by Muslim extremists. Perhaps if leaders in the American Muslim community cleaned their own house, suspicions towards their members might not be the issue the Times thinks it is.