Islamophobes have used the media to promote hatred against Muslims vilifying them and making others fear them, they succeeded because reported incidents of hate crimes and discrimination against Muslims are increasing.
Muslims in the U.S have faced discrimination before and after 9/11, but hate crimes and discrimination against them had increased since 9/11. FBI's 2009 report showed that 18.9 percent of hate crimes in the U.S were victimized occurred because of a bias against a religious belief; moreover, 8.4 percent of them were victims because of an anti-Islamic bias. Muslims have faced discrimination at work, in schools and universities, and in the airport. It is also becoming increasingly more difficult for Muslims to get a permit to build a mosque from the officials and from the community as well.
Muslims in the U.S have faced discrimination before and after 9/11, but hate crimes and discrimination against them had increased since 9/11. FBI's 2009 report showed that 18.9 percent of hate crimes in the U.S were victimized occurred because of a bias against a religious belief; moreover, 8.4 percent of them were victims because of an anti-Islamic bias. Muslims have faced discrimination at work, in schools and universities, and in the airport. It is also becoming increasingly more difficult for Muslims to get a permit to build a mosque from the officials and from the community as well.
Discrimination in the workplace:
Thomas Perez, the assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights reported 150 percent jump in workplace discrimination in the U.S a decade after 9/11.
Among these cases is the case of Susann Bashir who sued AT&T for 'harassment from her co-workers because of her religion.’ In the video, she describes how her co-workers and even her boss mocked her, her dress, hair, and scarf. There is also the case of Rami Awad that was fired from his job as a teller in PNC bank because he spoke out about anti-Arab and Anti-Muslim discrimination the he had faced at four of the bank branches. |
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Discrimination in schools and Universities:
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Muslim students also face incidents of bullying in the U.S schools because of their faith. They are referred to as "terrorist" and are teased about their names, especially names in the popular media. The Video reports that at least 27 incidents of bullying targeting Muslims were reported in North Carolina, and that many Muslim students are concealing their religious belief to avoid bullying.
The discrimination the students are enduring is not only from other students, but also by school officials and employees. In 2009, a Muslim 7th grade student in Maine was told to never pray on the schools ground when the school officials found out that she was praying in a hallway corner during lunch break. In University of California- Irvine the Muslim Student Union was banned for one academic year after their peaceful protest of the Israeli ambassador’s presence on the campus. |
Discrimination in the Airport:
Muslims are also monitored and profiled. Many Muslims were not allowed to return to the U.S because their names were put on the "No Fly List." The No Fly List is a list created by United States government's Terrorist Screening Center of people who are not permitted to board on a commercial aircraft to travel in or out of the U.S. Most people on the list are from foreign countries including 500 Americans.
Many American students and veterans who happened to be Muslim were not permitted to fly back to the U.S. One case in point is that of Yahya Wehelie whose name was put on the no-Fly list after he went to Yemen because of people he allegedly met there as reported in the video. |
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There are also cases where Muslims are not allowed to fly because of their garb. Such as in the case of Imam Masudur Rahman, a professor of Arabic at the University of Memphis who was heading to a conference about Islamophobia. He was not allowed to fly because the pilot thought that other passengers might not be comfortable or might be anxious riding the plane next to a man in Islamic clothing!
The video reports that the passenger did not make any accusations against them, but some passengers were uncomfortable with them. |
Discrimination and monumental injustice mounted on ordinary people by an overbearing government on the basis of colour, race and religion remains unnoticed till a celebrity is made to taste a bit of it.
It has been the case ever since 9/11 the racial profiling of Muslims taking place. This incident took all the lame lights since it was happened with a celebrity with a stature of Mr Sharukh Khan. Only when a well-known Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan is made to feel the pain of arbitrary ways of the American officials, it could cause uproar from the Indian External Affairs Ministry and Indian people. US Government apologised but pronounced that there is no pattern in Khan's matter and no racial profile to it. |
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Anti-Mosque Activities:
It is becoming increasingly difficult to get a permit to build a Mosque in the U.S. Either the officials do not give the Muslims the permit claiming that building a Mosque in that specific site would cause traffic and Noise, or the community opposes building the mosque which makes the Muslims feel unwelcomed so they search for other sites.
American Civil Liberties Union's website has a map that highlights anti-mosque incidents across the country over the past five years.
American Civil Liberties Union's website has a map that highlights anti-mosque incidents across the country over the past five years.
What can I do to prevent discrimination against Muslims:
Educate yourself about Islam and Muslims. Meet Muslims and learn about their religion and culture. Do not make your opinion about an issue related to Islam after reading one newspaper or listening to one sided argument about Muslims. If you cannot find an objective opinion in the media, try to explore different media outlets and form an informed opinion on the issue. Speak up if you encounter a discrimination incident against a Muslim.
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I am a Muslim suffering from discrimination, What do I do?
Know your rights as a citizen, students, and employee. Report the incident to law enforcement. There are also many organizations that are ready to help you in filing a complaint like CAIR.
More about discrimination against Muslims:
The incidents above are not the only incidents. For more information refer to Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) report.