(BALTIMORE, MD, 10/3/2022) – Today, the Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Maryland Governor’s Office on Community Initiatives joined to officially announce the month of October once again as ‘Statewide Bullying Prevention Month’ with the presentation of a Governor’s Proclamation.
“Governor Hogan and his whole administration will do all they can to insure every child is in a positive learning environment and continue to educate students, administrators and parents on the devastating effects of bullying,” said Governor’s Office on Community Initiatives Director Steven McAdams.
“Each year, our organization partners with the governor’s office for this annual designation to raise awareness about the prevalence, harms and consequences of bullying, the importance of reporting incidents, and the need to promote respect and inclusion in all of our educational institutions,” said CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry. “We thank Governor Hogan and the GOCI for their commitment to ensuring that every child feels safe and respected in schools. Community members from all backgrounds are urged to report bullying incidents to school administrators and seek transparency and accountability in how these incidents are handled.”
CAIR National’s 2022 Civil Rights Report, Still Suspect, documented various school-related complaints ranging from bullying, Islamophobic school curriculum, and holiday denials in 2021. Bullying is consistently one of the most common types of school-related complaints received at CAIR offices around the country.
SEE: 2022 Civil Rights Report: Still Suspect
https://www.cair.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Still-Suspect-Report-2022.pdf
Bias and Bullying in Public Schools: Mitigating the Impact on Muslim and Perceived-as-Muslim Students
A 2022 poll by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding reports that almost half (48%) of Muslim families with school-age children reported having a child who faced religious-based bullying in the past year, with one in five families saying their child faces such bullying on a daily basis.
SEE: AMERICAN MUSLIM POLL 2022: A Politics and Pandemic Status Report
https://www.ispu.org/american-muslim-poll-2022-1/
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 Office in Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062