N.C. sheriff’s office used shooting range target depicting a masked man wearing a traditional Arab dress holding an AK-47-style weapon during school shooting training
(WASHINGTON D.C., 9/12/22) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today raised concerns about North Carolina’s Macon County Sheriff’s Office use of an image of a man wearing a Palestinian headscarf (keffiyeh) and holding an AK-47-style assault weapon as a stand-in for an active shooter during a training exercise for staff and students at a public school.
VIDEO: North Carolina Police Use Stereotypical Image to Train Officers for School Shootings
According to an Aug. 31 segment on WLOS ABC News 13, the Macon County Sheriff’s Office conducted a day-long training at Rosman Middle and Rosman High School “for any kind of active threat,” including the “threat of a gunman.”
The segment included footage of a law enforcement poster that depicted an Arab shooter despite the potential risk to Muslim and Arab-American students, as well as the fact that most mass shootings in the United States are not perpetrated by people of color.
In a letter sent last week, CAIR thanked the Sheriff’s office for holding the training, but expressed concern about the inaccurate and harmful use of the stereotypical image and called on the office to stop doing so. The letter also invited the Sheriff’s office to engage in cultural competency training to strengthen its relationship with local Muslim and Arab-Americans.
SEE: LETTER
“We thank local law enforcement agencies for conducting this training, which is sadly necessary to help protect children in school from the threat of mass shooters,” said CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell. “However, the use of this unacceptable and racially charged image in school shooter training reinforces negative, inaccurate stereotypes and endangers students who are Muslim or Arab American.”
He said the Sheriff’s office should address the issue by:
- Adopting neutral targets simply wearing a mask during training exercises and communicate to officers that it is inappropriate to purchase or use in training shooting range targets or actors that promote ethnic or religious stereotypes or prominently feature the characteristics of race, national origin, or religion.
- Conducting a mandatory police training class to raise better awareness and understanding of American Muslims and their beliefs.
CAIR receives thousands of complaints annually from American Muslims, including students and their families, about discrimination, bullying and hate speech. CAIR uses litigation and other legal remedies, including legislation, to defend the rights of American Muslims and others.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR offers a booklet, “A Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to The Muslim Community,” designed to assist law enforcement officials in forming and implementing policies to create a culturally aware environment and cooperative relationship between American Muslims and law enforcement agencies.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com