Civil rights group calls on school administrators and district officials to take swift measures to promote student safety
(BALTIMORE, MD, 10/11/23) – The Maryland office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned growing reports it is receiving of Muslim and Arab students experiencing harassment and intimidation in public high schools and on college and university campuses.
CAIR is calling on administrators and officials within all educational institutions to take swift measures to promote student safety and take appropriate corrective action as necessary to discourage these incidents.
Over the last three days, CAIR has received at least seven complaints from high school and college Muslim and/or Arab students reporting unprovoked incidents in which strangers have taken their photos, unlawfully recorded videos without permission, shouted racial slurs, threatened to submit their private information to doxxing sites, commented hostile messages on social media platforms, or otherwise created a hostile situation after the students affirmed their support for basic Palestinian human rights.
[NOTE: “Doxxing” is the malicious publication of information such as home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.]
“In this politically-charged environment, many Muslim and Arab students feel increasingly vulnerable and targeted because of their diverse identities,” said CAIR’s Maryland director Zainab Chaudry. “We are urging all secondary and post-secondary institutions of learning to take immediate measures to create and maintain a safe environment in which students are free to respectfully express their support for basic rights to freedom and liberation for Palestinians existing under an illegal occupation, without being subjected to hate, retaliation and fear.”
She noted that yesterday, CAIR’s Greater Los Angeles Area office and Jewish Voice for Peace, Los Angeles (JVP-LA) condemned recent biased political statements on the violence in the Middle East made by two school districts in Los Angeles County.
CAIR also urged houses of worship and human rights activists engaging in protests to take security precautions after a surge in racist, hateful and threatening rhetoric online, as well as inflammatory comments by political leaders.
CAIR is urging students to take the following steps if they experience an unsafe environment:
· BASIC SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: Remain vigilant, take note of your surroundings, pay attention to details, don’t walk alone on campus when possible after dark (many campuses offer police escorts).
· DOCUMENT: Take photos, record videos, take screenshots of hateful or harassing comments, posts and text messages.
· REPORT: Notify school officials and college administrators and public safety officers (school principals, office of public safety, office of student affairs) in writing as soon as possible after a hate incident occurs; cc mdoutreach@cair.com on your communications.
· REQUEST CAIR’s Self-Empowerment or Bystander Intervention Trainings by emailing mdoutreach@cair.com
Washington, D.C., based CAIR recently released a new guide for Muslim students and families in support of National Bullying Prevention Month in October. The guide contains practical advice for both students experiencing bullying and their families. It also references work conducted by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, 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 Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062