Civil Rights Group Urges Support for Impacted Students, Stepped Up Security Measures
(BALTIMORE, MD, 4/11/2022) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), America’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on officials and campus police at the University of Maryland College Park to conduct a thorough investigation into reports of at three Muslim students allegedly harassed by a fellow student in at least two separate incidents in little over a week, and to take appropriate action.
CAIR has learned that a group of three female Muslim students wearing hijab, or the Islamic head scarf, were reportedly approached on March 31 by an unknown white male, later determined through campus police to also be a student, who engaged them in conversation making inappropriate remarks about their faith and ethnicity.
One of the students told CAIR they felt uncomfortable, disengaged from the interaction and walked away. Last Wednesday, one of the three students was confronted by the same unknown individual while she was alone. He allegedly ignored her repeated requests to leave her alone as she sought to leave the area. Eventually she was able to leave the scene and call her parents, but the incident has left her and her family fearful for her safety.
In a statement, CAIR’s Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“We applaud the courage of the student and her family who filed a complaint and urge campus police to thoroughly investigate these incidents and take swift, appropriate action to help ensure the safety of Muslim students on campus. Every student deserves a safe learning environment free from intimidation and harassment. We encourage the university to also offer counseling and other forms of support to the impacted students and to implement stepped up security measures to address any other potential threats.”
CAIR has been in touch with campus police, who confirmed last Thursday evening that the initial investigation was “closed” with the male suspect “free to roam” on campus. It was not clear whether any disciplinary action had been taken due to the confidentiality of the investigation.
The civil rights organization attempted twice to contact the Vice President of the Office for Student Conduct last week and is awaiting a response.
CAIR’s Maryland office is in the process of coordinating a self-defense workshop with martial arts experts for Muslim students at the university to train them on situational awareness and empower them to be prepared.
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