(WASHINGTON D.C., 12/21/2021) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on the University of Utah to offer an anti-racist curriculum after several reported racist incidents.
The University of Utah’s Racist and Bias Incident Response Team is investigating two incidents that occurred in September and October, a university spokesperson said Tuesday. In the September incident, a towel smeared with a brown substance believed to be feces was found on the door of a student’s dorm room. In the October incident, which occurred in the same dorm building, a group of individuals reportedly dressed like Ku Klux Klan members were trying to recruit students.
The University’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Department said there have been two other recent racist incidents. One of the incidents reportedly occurred on December 10th, when a student discovered racial slur and other derogatory language written in the dust on their car windows. The university is currently investigating the incident and working to identify those responsible.
Another reportedly occurred in September, when two students allegedly called a contract worker a racial slur and threw sunflower seeds and coffee pods at them. The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Department said the perpetrators of that incident have been found and held accountable.
SEE: U.’s racism investigators reviewing reports of KKK on campus, feces found on student’s door
In a statement, CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison said:
“It is not sufficient to merely react to incidents of hate and bigotry after they occur. The university must be proactive in challenging racism and white supremacy. We call on university officials to offer an anti-racist curriculum to all students and make clear that acts of bigotry targeting any minority community will not be tolerated on campus.”
Allison noted that yesterday, CAIR’s Missouri chapter called for a hate crime investigation into racist vandalism targeting a Black history mural on the campus of Washington University in Clayton, Mo.
SEE: CAIR-Missouri Calls for Hate Crime Probe of Racist Vandalism Targeting Black History Mural
He said the American Muslim community and CAIR stand in solidarity with all those challenging anti-Black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.
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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