Advice to Educators from the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee about ANTI-ARAB AND ANTI-MUSLIM HARASSMENT
Like millions of their fellow citizens, Arab Americans and Muslims stood around the TV, watching in horror and disbelief as one attack after another took place against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Unlike other Americans, however, many quickly found themselves the object of suspicion and hostility.
Arab American and Muslim organizations issued immediate condemnations of the attacks, but just as in the Gulf War, the Oklahoma City bombing, and other moments of crisis, the Arab and Muslim communities are being targeted by a wave of hostility and harassment. Two Arab-American groceries in the Philadelphia area were looted. A store owner in Westchester, New York, was assaulted with pepper spray. Two young Muslim women were beaten in Illinois. Arab American organizations are receiving hate mail and hate calls.
Similarly, during the Gulf war, in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing, and other moments of crisis, Arab Americans and Muslims experienced waves of hate crimes, physical assaults, bombings, death threats, and harassment.
At the same time, many organizations and institutions statements of support and calls to avoid anti-Arab harassment. In Detroit and Dearborn, the cities with the largest Arab-American populations, Arab-American and Muslim leaders condemned yesterday’s attacks and the mayors of the two cities appealed to the public to avoid ethic scapegoating.
We are sure to discover that Arab-Americans and Muslims working in the World
Trade Center were among the victims. In TV news reports, we saw women in
traditional Muslim dress among the dust-covered survivors fleeing the
devastation. Arab students in California report that family members and
friends in New York are among the missing.
Support for Students
Arab-American and Muslim students may be experiencing anxiety and confusion over
the attacks, fearful of the danger of personal harassment, and suffering from a
sense of shame or stigma from being identified with the suspected perpetrators
of the attacks. During the Gulf War, many Arab-American students felt
intimidated and silenced. Some felt that they had to keep their ethnicity a
secret and let anti-Arab remarks go unchallenged. Some wanted to change
their names.
Non-Arab students may be feeling a sense of vulnerability, righteous
indignation, anger or hostility which is seeking any available target.
Educators should take steps to address these potential problems:
1) Public Statements: It will be very helpful for school officials, university
presidents and deans, student government leaders, religious leaders and others
to issue public statements that innocent people should not be blamed for the
acts of others. Let those who are upset and angry know that anti-Arab and
anti-Muslim assaults, harassment, insults, and hate speech will not be
tolerated. This could take the form of statements to the mass media,
addresses to school or university assemblies, community forums, and articles in
campus newspapers.
2) Educational Forums: Schools and universities can set up forums and discussion
groups to discuss the attacks, give students a chance to express their views,
and make clear what are inappropriate ways to respond. The impulse to
retaliate can be an instinctive demand for justice, but justice can never be
served by blindly striking out in ways which victimize innocent people.
Reaffirm the inherent value of all human life.
It is important to invite members of the Arab-American and Muslim communities to
speak to students. The most effect way to counteract hostile stereotypes
is through coming in personal contact with other communities. Invite
speakers and show videos on the Arab world and Islam. Remind students that
the Arab world is an entire civilization with a rich and sophisticated cultural
heritage. It is not merely a place of political conflict and violence.
ADC can assist in providing speakers and films.
3) Counseling: Schools and universities should make counseling available to all
students who may wish to discuss their more personal and private concerns.
Arab-American students can be referred to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee (ADC) for information, consultation, and support. (ADC, 4201
Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20008; 202-244-2990; adc@adc.org;
www.adc.org)
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