Challenging the Right, Advancing Social Justice CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT Antisemitism and Islamophobia on U.S. College Campuses, 2007-2011 2007-2011: Appendices Senior Editor Chip Berlet Managing Editor Debra Cash Associate Editor Maria Planansky Political Research Associates (PRA) is a social justice think tank devoted to supporting movements that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society. We expose movements, institutions, and ideologies that undermine human rights. Copyright ©2014, Political Research Associates Political Research Associates 1310 Broadway, Suite 201 Somerville, MA 02144-1837 www.politicalresearch.org design by rachelle galloway-popotas, owl in a tree CONTENTS SURVEY OF MSA STUDENTS ................................................................................................................. 4 ISLAMO-FACISM AWARENESS WEEK (IFAW) 2007 ......................................................................... 7 TRAUMA AND PREJUDICE ................................................................................................................... 10 ADL AND THE PARK51 CONTROVERSY ......................................................................................... 12 RENE GIRARD AND MIMETIC SCAPEGOATING ............................................................................. 13 BIBLIOGRAPHIES ......................................................................................................................................15 Selected LIST OF INCIDENTS DESCRIBED AS ANTISEMITIC ............................................ 26 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................... 27 CAMPUS DATA ON INSTITUTIONS STUDIED ................................................................................ 28 CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT-Appendices <<< PAGE 3 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG SURVEY OF MSA STUDENTS: majority were obviously from non-White backgrounds; ap- proximately 50% of them had beards. Students were either interviewed or asked to fill out a An Initial Study on Small-Scale Islamophobia on questionnaire regarding their general perception of their American College Campuses campus and administration, and about any specific incidents that occurred either to themselves personally, or to other members of their community, mosque, or Islamic center. BY PAMELA TAYLOR The students interviewed came from 55 different colleges across the United States. These ranged from public and THE PURPOSE OF THIS PORTION of the Islamophobia study private universities, large and small institutions, community was to document the “small” occurrences of Islamophobia colleges, colleges with religious affiliations, and secular -in on college campuses. A perusal of the mass media brings to stitutions. (A list of the schools represented is included at the light a variety of well publicized and loudly discussed occur- end of the report, along with the questions asked.) rences: the furor over the decision made by the maintenance Of the 55 colleges, only 11 (20%) were described as department at the University of Michigan to build a couple unwelcoming, while the remaining 44 (80%) were described of footbaths to address safety concerns created by Muslim as welcoming. Many students wrote that their college makes students performing ritual ablutions in bathroom sinks; the a special effort to include students of various backgrounds in decision of Temple University to forgo an endowed chair in campus events. General student diversity was also cited as a religious studies (which then went to George Mason) due to factor in fostering a welcoming atmosphere on campus. Oth- concerns over the organization which sponsored the endow- ers mentioned interfaith offices and events as being impor- ment despite the fact that the organization provided all the tant to their sense of belonging. Prayer space, halal dining legal documentation required; Islamo-Facism Week events options, and college funding/support of Muslim student sponsored by off-campus organizer David Horowitz; the groups were also listed as factors that made Muslim students railroading of various scholars because of their views on the feel welcome on their campus. Israeli-Palestinian conflict by groups such as Campus Watch; Students who did not feel welcome cited lack of prayer an uproar over an email from a Michigan State professor space, no Muslim student organization, and no acknowledg- labeling Muslim students as brutal and uncivilized, telling ment of Muslim holidays. Some felt that there was a nega- them to go back home after the Danish cartoon incident. tive atmosphere toward Muslims on the campus, with other Sensational events are important to document, as they students displaying intolerance or outright hatred. affect the atmosphere both on the campus where they occur Discriminatory incidents were reported at 21 (38%) of and on a national scale, where other colleges may be wary the colleges, while 34 (62%) of the colleges did not have any of similar controversies. These events may make Muslim reports of problems. Of the incidents reported, the majority students and professors feel, at any moment, that they may (76%) involved verbal harassment, either by peers or profes- garner national attention for seeking religious accommoda- sors. These incidents were overwhelmingly peer-related tions at their school or voicing their opinions on the Middle (81%), with only three incidents of professorial hostility East. At the same time, it is also important to document the (19%). small-scale incidents of Islamophobia that affect the lives of Other cited incidents included refusal by professors to Muslim students on American college campuses. reschedule exams for Muslim holidays, graffiti on posters There is much talk about the biases that Muslim students for Muslim events or Muslim spaces, vandalism of displays, face on their college campuses, but little documentation on a campus newspaper that was described as anti-Muslim, how prevalent such experiences are or are not. The goal of right-wing protestors who denigrated Islam during protests, this study, which was conducted through personal interviews physical harassment, and a bomb threat made to a campus and surveys at MSAs, was to document the small, often un- mosque. Only one student cited a campus event such as reported, incidents that have occurred to individual Muslim Islamo-Facism Week (an expected result as the surveys/inter- students; to gauge the percentage of campuses and students views were attempting to document personal incidents, not affected by such incidents, and their reactions to them. campus events easily documented through mass media). While these types of incidents do not make it to the newspa- Approximately 30 percent of the students interviewed or pers, the study’s researchers believe they are important in surveyed reported incidents; the overwhelming majority of that they create an atmosphere where Muslims students do them said that incidents happened to them personally or to not feel at ease on their campuses. their institutions (masjid, MSA space, etc.) As stated above, For this study, interviews and surveys were conducted the vast majority of incidents were in the form of verbal among members of Muslim student organizations, both on harassment, with discriminatory actions by professors being campuses and at the East Zone and National conferences a distant second. of the Muslim Students Association. This target group was It is perhaps important to note that in face-to-face selected as they self-identify as Muslim and are involved in interviews, when asked if there had been any incidents the Muslim activities on their campuses, making them visible universal reply was “no.” However, a few seconds later, ap- representatives of the religion. Of the women participating proximately 40% of the respondents changed their answer in the conferences or interviewed at their campuses, ap- to, “Well there was that time…” and went on to describe an proximately 90% wore headscarves. The men were less easily incident that had happened to them personally or to a friend. identifiable as Muslim by their appearance, although the vast In each case, the respondent downplayed the significance of CONSTRUCTING CAMPUS CONFLICT-Appendices <<< PAGE 4 >>> WWW.POLITICALRESEARCH.ORG the incident saying that it was an isolated case, or that the Colleges Represented in Survey stupid kids didn’t know any better. This attitude goes a long way to explain the fact that, of 1. City College of New York the campuses where incidents had been reported, nearly half 2. City University of New York of them were still perceived as being a welcoming place. 3. College of Charleston (South Carolina) University and college administrations received high 4. College of Staten Island marks across the board with only three exceptions. In those 5. Columbia University cases, the administration was described as not taking strong 6. Gateway Community College enough steps to support Muslim organizations and students, 7. Dartmouth College or as covering up what they did on behalf of Muslim students 8. Drexel University as though they were ashamed of the support. 9. George Mason University Additionally, several of the colleges received mixed 10. Georgetown University reviews—with some students describing them as welcoming 11. Hartford Seminary and others saying they were not. Administrations, too, were 12. Harvard University perceived differently by various