(KANSAS CITY, KS, 3/3/17) – The Kansas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Kansas), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on administrators at a Missouri high school to protect Muslim students after reports of ignored complaints of bullying and harassment targeting Muslim students.
Slurs such as “terrorist” were allegedly hurled at three female Muslim students of Middle Eastern heritage attending Osage High School in Independence, Mo.
SEE: Forte Osage Student Says Slurs Hurled at Three Muslim Classmates Went Beyond Bullying
CAIR-Kansas also offered to provide anti-bullying and cultural diversity training to all teachers and staff in the district to prevent similar incidents from occurring. (NOTE: While the incident took place in Missouri, it falls within the geographical jurisdiction of CAIR-Kansas.)
“We believe that the primary responsibility of school administrators is to provide a safe learning environment for all students,” said Moussa Elbayoumy, board chair of CAIR-Kansas. “We urge the school’s administration to take concrete steps to protect all students from bullying, to open a transparent investigation of this case and to take appropriate administrative actions based on the results of that investigation. To simply ignore such incidents sends the wrong message to students and staff, and leaves them with the impression that such acts are tolerated.”
He noted the recent deadly attack in Kansas on men the alleged shooter believed to be “Middle Eastern.”
SEE: FBI Confirms Investigation Olathe Tripe Shooting at Austin’s Bar as Hate Crime
CAIR’s national office recently requested an investigation of the alleged repeated harassment targeting a Muslim student in West Virginia because of his ethnicity and religion.
Video: CAIR Asks West Virginia High School to Probe Repeated Harassment of Muslim Student
A 2013 CAIR report documenting bias-based bullying of American Muslim students in California schools revealed that almost half of Muslim students said they had been subjected to some form of bias-based bullying.
To read the full 2013 report, go to: Growing in Faith
The Washington-based civil rights organization offers a booklet, called “An Educator’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” designed to help school officials provide a positive learning environment for Muslim students.
SEE: An Educator’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices
http://www.cair.com/educators_guide.pdf
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
La misión de CAIR es mejorar la comprensión del Islam, fomentar el diálogo, proteger las libertades civiles, capacitar a los musulmanes estadounidenses, y construir coaliciones que promuevan la justicia y la comprensión mutua.
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CONTACT: CAIR-Kansas Board Chair Moussa Elbayoumy, 785-318-6323, melbayoumy@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com