The Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on law enforcement authorities to investigate an alleged attack on a Muslim student at Glenside Middle School in Glendale Heights, Illinois, last Thursday (Jan. 25).
The alleged attack, which was videoed from various camera angles and shared on social media, appears to depict a male student grabbing a female student, who wears a hijab (Islamic head scarf), by her head and violently holding her in a headlock and swaying her, before shoving her to the ground.
The incident reportedly occurred in full view of a crowd of students, several of whom had their phone cameras out to record the incident. The shots cut out as the girl sat on the floor of the hallway in shock and fear.
Community members report that the female student is from Saudi Arabia and has only been in the United States for two months and that the boy in question was involved in another bullying incident against another hijab-wearing student last year. That incident was not reported but is now being investigated by the school.
CAIR-Chicago is also calling on the school and the district to effectively address the larger culture of bullying, which admittedly is not limited to this school and district but is a general and intractable phenomenon.
“Bullying involves more than the perpetrator. Bystanders who watch and accept, or even reward this behavior, make it possible for the bully to carry out their attack. In this case, we see bystander students reinforcing the terrible ambush, filming it, and even gloating about it on social media. This larger culture must be addressed,” CAIR-Chicago’s Operations Manager and former CPS school teacher, Maggie Slavin said.
She added: “While CAIR-Chicago wishes to thank the principal, superintendent, and the Glendale Heights police department for their assurance in handling this incident with the urgency it deserves, we call on them to ensure that the investigation is carried out swiftly and with appropriate transparency to assuage the understandable angst in the affected community and to regain lost trust.”
CAIR-Chicago had previously warned of an increase in anti-bullying, harassment, and discrimination incidents against Muslim students over the last couple of years.
SEE: WBBM: Reports increase of anti-Muslim bullying at area schools: advocacy group
This prompted the launch of a dedicated anti-bullying project, Healsters.org, in October of 2021. At the public launch, CAIR-Chicago’s Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, stated:
“Every bullying incident is heartbreaking. But for every case reported, there are probably dozens that go unreported. Bullying is a pandemic that affects not just Muslim students, it must be comprehensively addressed by administrators, teachers, parents, students, and community organizations working in tandem. Safety, dignity, and respect are basic human rights. Every child deserves to feel excited about going to school – to feel embraced, not embarrassed, in their sacred space of learning – to pursue their dreams do not live out their worst nightmares. Only together can we make this a reality for everyone. Our new initiative, Healsters.org, will seek to do just that by engaging affected parties and building genuine partnerships to offer key services, awareness, and advocacy.”
CAIR-Chicago has reached out to the school district to address the case and offer sensitivity and awareness anti-bullying training; it also reached out to thank MSI Mosque in Glendale Heights for being a local and resourceful partner on this matter.
Last year, CAIR’s national office 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.
SEE: CAIR’s Guide Against Bullying and Bias in Schools: Practical Steps for Youth and Their Families
CAIR-Chicago is the Chicago Chapter of America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Our mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.
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CONTACT: Ahmed Rehab, Executive Director of CAIR Chicago, 202-870-0166,arehab@cair.com; Maggie Slavin, Operations Manager of CAIR-Chicago, 815-590-3991, mslavin@cair.com; Erin P.R. Davis, MCM, Communications Coordinator of CAIR-Chicago, 773-802-8786, epdavis@cair.com