DCNV - BULLYING OF MUSLIM AMERICANS HAS SPREAD FROM THE HEADLINES TO THE CLASSROOM

BULLYING OF MUSLIM AMERICANS HAS SPREAD FROM THE HEADLINES TO THE CLASSROOM 

Last weekend, the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) held a community town hall forum to address the rise of bullying against young Muslim Americans, which have increased in frequency. Many young people in schools are facing emotional and physical abused being called “terrorists” or told “to go home” on a daily basis. When hate speech is not taken seriously, it has the potential to turn violent.

The recent news that an 8-year-old boy was found hanging from a bathroom hook at his school in Louisville, KY, has shocked a whole community and school officials. The son of Somali immigrant parents, the boy was found unconscious and hospitalized with serious injuries, yet it took three weeks for his story to reach national headlines. The sad truth was that the boy had been experiencing chronic bullying, which was not addressed by the school.

The reality is that when irresponsible public officials and political pundits engage in hate speech it has real consequences on the ground. The rhetoric about the Muslim American community on talk radio, national news outlets and in many communities has become poisonous in nature.

Bullying of Muslim Americans is not limited to classrooms and playgrounds. Anti-Muslim sentiment has reared its ugly head over and over again. Consider the recent burning of a Quran by the fringe Pastor Terry Jones, the nationwide spike in anti-mosque sentiment, the recent wave of anti-shariah bills in more than a dozen states across the country, a Villa Park, CA, councilwoman’s call for violence against Muslim Americans and a recent case where aMuslim woman was refused service as a mattress store because the store manager considered her a national security threat.

Young people are the most vulnerable part of our society, and we must do whatever is needed to ensure that they feel safe and secure in our country’s schools. Bullying is not only a problem for young Muslim Americans; it affects millions of children who might be seen as different in the sight of peers and school communities.

In March, President Barack Obama held a conference on bullying to challenge the belief that bullying is a normal rite of passage for youth. He stressed that the federal government, educators, school administrators and communities all have to work together to put an end to bullying. Stopbullying.gov also was launched in order to provide resources for educators and communities on how to address bullying and keep our schools safe.

At the MPAC forum, Michael S. Hing from the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights taught parents how to file a complaint if their children are being harassed based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability and age in violation of federal laws. Hing emphasized the importance of documentation and reporting bullying incidents within six months. Bullying happens when peers, administrators and parents ignore the signs. Parents must ensure that this epidemic is weeded out of the dark shadows of school hallways and brought to light so that it may be addressed

It is the responsibility of faith leaders, parents, educators, government and the community to work together in order to create platforms where there can be education to promote mutual acceptance and understanding.

[CONTACT: Haris Tarin, DC Office Director, (202) 547-7701,haris@mpac.org]