As Islamophobia rises post election students at South push to raise awareness

An+estimation+of+about+200+people+gathered+in+east+Minneapolis+for+a+rally+against+Islamophobia+and+war.

Licensed under a Creative Commons License. Attribution to: Fibonacci Blue

An estimation of about 200 people gathered in east Minneapolis for a rally against Islamophobia and war.

Hate letters are sent to five separate mosques in California; a University of Michigan student is threatened to be set on fire in Ann Arbor; a man forcibly tries to remove a woman’s hijab at San Jose State University in California, according to reporting by CNN.

Research conducted by Brian Levin, a professor at San Bernardino college, showed there is a monthly average of 12.9 Islamophobic hate crimes per month.

According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), there was an increase of complaints regarding anti-Islamic hate people were receiving after the election. In the first ten days after Donald Trump was announced America’s next president, over 100 cases of harassment were reported, also according to CAIR.

With Islamophobia on the rise, students at South are working toward combating misconceptions and breaking down barriers.

“It’s hateful,” Amelia Abouljoud, ’18 said. “We have this religious conflict, but we’re just people. Muslims are just people.”

Abouljoud is co-president of the Arab Culture Club with Isaac Kado, ’18, which they started together last year. She said that the club’s main goal is to educate people on Islam and the culture surrounding it.

“It’s important that we’re unified,” Abouljoud said. “It’s good for people to learn.”

The FBI’s annual hate crime report showed that anti-Muslim harassment and crimes increased 67 percent from 2014 to 2015. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) stated that this was the highest number of Islamophobic attacks since 9/11.

“We have this religious conflict, but we’re just people. Muslims are just people.”

— Amelia Abouljoud, ’18

Abouljoud said if someone is a bystander to Islamophobia, they should say something to prevent it.

“Step in; all the way; it’s about education,” Abouljoud said. “People just aren’t educated enough about it (Islam). They have to speak up, because it hurts.”

Kado agrees with Amelia that people need to be more informed on Islam and the Arabic culture, and feels ashamed that people don’t know any better, although it’s not their fault.

According to Kado, the common stereotype that Muslims should be feared is untrue, as the radical Islamic part of the religion makes up less than one percent of the Muslim population.

“I completely understand the fear of Islam, but you have to look past that,” Kado said. “If we look at it and say ‘Oh, a black person shot someone in Detroit today,’ then are we going to be afraid of all black people? We can’t do that. People shouldn’t be stereotyped under one generalization.”

A Paris-based French Middle Eastern woman, who goes by Maeril, created a guide on how to combat Islamophobia in a public setting, such as school or the workplace.

The first step of the guide is to start a conversation with the victim, and appear calm while ignoring the attacker, in hopes that they will go away.

After that, Maeril’s guide says to start discussing random topics, in order to make a safe area for the victim. She says to continue to ignore the harasser, as they will most likely leave due to the lack of response.

Maeril then stated that the witness should stay with the victim until the attacker leaves, and to then escort them to a safe area if need be.

Abouljoud said that the increase in attacks on Muslims after the election might be due to the terrorist stereotype of Islam being amplified.

“I don’t think it was the presidential candidates’ fault,” Abouljoud said. “I think it was just that they (the Muslim attackers) decided that they had the right to speak out because of the things that the republican candidate has said, even if he doesn’t truly believe them.”

“I don’t think it was the presidential candidates’ fault,.”

— Amelia Abouljoud, ’18

Natasha Vatalaro, ‘18, has been a part of the Arab Culture Club since it started a year ago, and said that big issues like recent political events and ISIS have affected lots of people.

“Everybody has lots of views on it (Islam) that are very uneducated,” Vatalaro said. “If students were educated on it, then we could promote diversity and acceptance in our own school.”

Kado believes that the club is important to unity at South because they focus on the rights of minorities and accept everybody.

“I know for me, there are times when sometimes I’m discriminated against,” Kado said. ”I feel it’s important because we’re all part of South, we all should be treated equally.”