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Patterns of Discrimination Cair 1998

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Patterns of Discrimination Cair 1998 Tbe Status of Muslim Civil. Rights in the United States — 4.. •4 0 1998 • 4 - b a a ‘a • • -4., •1 PATTERNS OF DISCRIMINATION ••‘-— ‘‘ a CAIRCouncil on American-Islamic Relalions — Research Center The Status of Muslim Civil Rights in the United States 1998 Patterns of Discrimination CAIR Council on American-Islamic Relations Research Center CAIR Research Center publishes educational pamphlets, reports and papers on the Muslim experience in America. Dr. Mohamed Nimer is the director of research. To obtain copies of this report, contact: Council on American-Islamic Relations 1050 17th Street, N.W., Suite 490 Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel: 202-659-CAIR (2247) Fax: 202-659-2254 E-mail: cain @ix.netcom.com URL: http://www.cair-net.org (C)1998 Copyright, Council on American-Islamic Relations No part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or reproduced in any way, including but not limited to. photocopy, photograph, and magnetic or other record, without the prior agreement and written approval of the publisher. CONTENTS FOREWORD IV ISLAMIC TERMS AND CONCEPTS V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VI I. INTRODUCTION I II. TRENDS IN ANTI-MUSLIM DISCRIMINATION 3 TRIGGERING HOSTILITY 4 RISING APPREHENSION IN THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY 5 TYPES OF DISCRIMINATION 6 PLACES OF DISCRIMINATION 13 III. SOURCES OF DISCRIMINATION 18 IGNORANCE AND MISPERCEPTION 19 RELIGIOUS BIAS 20 OUTDATED CORPORATE POLICIES 21 BIAS IN OFFICIAL POLICIES IV. RESPONSES 26 VICTIM RESPONSES 27 OFFENDER RESPONSES 31 CAIR’S EDUCATIONAL RESPONSE 34 V. CONCLUSION 36 FOREWORD This report reflects incidents of discrimination that have come to CAIR’s attention and have been deemed worthy of inclusion in a publication of this sort. In no way does it pretend to be exhaustive: it sim ply records some of what crosses our desks. This is CAIR’s third annual report documenting anti-Muslim bias in daily life experiences. It would be great if everyone who reads this volume passes it on to others. The more people learn how Muslims are treated, the more they will realize the need to re-examine their perceptions of Islam and Muslims. Islam is a universal religion that extends beyond the boundaries of America. It deserves a fair hearing. This document is designed to contribute to that end. Omar Ahmad Chairman of the Board of Directors Council on American-Islamic Relations ISLAMIC TERMS AND CONCEPTS Allah The most commonly used term for “God” in Arabic. Allah is not the “Muslim God,” but is the same God worshipped by Christians and Jews. Alcohol avoidance Islamic teachings prohibit Muslims from consuming, selling or buying alcohol. Beards Following the tradition of Prophet Muhammad, many devout Muslims grow beards. Eid A holiday. Eid al-Fitr Fast-breaking holiday. Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca. Halal Permissible by Islamic law. Hijab/Khimar Modest clothing that women wear in public. It is generally loose-fitting and includes a head covering. Imam A prayer leader. Kufi A cap worn by men. Masj id The Arabic word for mosque—an Islamic house of worship. Niqab A face veil. Removal of shoes A custom followed by Muslims who prefer to keep the floor covering in their home inside a home free from impurities, a religious requirement for a prayer space. Prayer Islam mandates structured prayers five times a day. Muslims are also required to attend a weekly congregational prayer. During the month of Ramadan devout Muslims observe extended evening prayers. Quran Islam’s scripture. Ramadan The Islamic lunar month of fasting. NOII3flUOLLMI .1 TRIGGERING HOSTILITY management admonished the employees, although they denied making any inappropriate comments. Anti-Muslim bias includes acts and expres (Alaa to CAIR, 7/28/97; Dillard’s to CAIR, 8/31/97) sions that entail or contribute to the exclusion, deprivation, singling out, and/or mistreatment of In Charleston, West Virginia, a coworker at Muslims who are often identified by their reli Charleston Area Medical Center expressed hostility gious and ethnic characteristics. Unfortunately, toward Bruce, a new convert to Islam, upon hearing such bias is a reality in the United States. The fol that Bruce was listening to “Arabic music.” The lowing selected incidents provide a vivid picture coworker asked, “When are you going to change of how Muslim identifying factors triggered acts your name?” When Bruce said he was not planning of hostility. to do so anytime soon, the coworker said he was going to paint Bruce’s forehead when he did. (Bruce In Washington, District of Columbia, a to CAIR. 10/3/97) swastika was spray-painted on a star and crescent display at the White House Ellipse on December 28, In Tampa, Florida, after Brenda converted to 1997. The incident took place one day after the dis Islam and decided to wear hijab, a coworker at play was set up—for the first time ever—to mark Cardiology Center of Tampa told her, “When are the beginning of the month of Rarnadan. you going back to Arabia?” Brenda was fired on (Washington Post, 12/29/97) November II, 1997. (CAIR Incident Report Form, 11/20/97) In Clifton, New Jersey, a professor at Passaic County Community College cried loudly, In Brooklyn, New York, KhaliI and his “Goddamn Muslims!” as he looked over the shoul brother were both fired after nine years of employ der of a student who was writing an essay about ment with Landau. Khalil claims that when they about his Ramadan fast. (Passaic County began observing daily prayers and attending mosque Community College Complaint, n.d.) on Fridays. the managers and owners expressed prejudice. Khalil’s supervisor made comments to In Falls Church, Virginia, after learning that other employees saying, “They’re being taught to Sulieman, an employee at Independent Project become terrorists.” (CAIR Incident Report Form, Analysis was fasting, a supervisor told him, “If you 6/9/97) weren’t fasting here, you’d be in Algeria blowing up people.” (CAIR Incident Report Form, 2/10/98) In Dallas, Texas, Kim, a manager of Pro- Staff, a temporary employment agency, told a In Vienna, Virginia, a passing car’s driver Muslim worker that her former employer did not screamed at two Muslim women with hijab, “Go like her praying and wearing the scarf. When the back to your country, you stupid! Go back to your Muslim worker went to pick up her check around country with your camels! F--- you!” (CAIR prayer time, she performed her prayer outside the Incident Report Form, 10/8/97) agency office. Kim came outside and said, “I told you not to pray!” (CAIR to Pro Staff, 10/21/97; Pro In Columbia, Missouri, while Alaa, an Arab Staff to CAIR, 11/14/97) woman wearing hijab, was shopping at Dillard’s, a store employee asked a coworker whether she learnt In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Elham, who about a Philippino family that was caught stealing wears hijab, stated she walked to the stage to receive from the store. The coworker said, “Yeah, have you a giveaway car that she won on May 18, 1997, at the seen the Iranians that always come in here?” “Be International Women’s Show. When a few people careful,” said the first woman, “we have one of them started booing, the prize announcer refused to back there.” A letter from the company stated the acknowledge her as a winner after he had called her name. because the address on her driver’s license RISING APPREHENSION IN THE MUSLIM did not match that on the drawing ticket. In a letter COMMUNITY to CAIR, the Southern Shows Exposition Center stated Elham failed to verify her address. Elham An increasing number of Muslim communi stated that the address on her driver’s license was ty members are reporting claims of mistreatment. As her old residence and that the next person who was shown in Table 1, this year’s report contains 284 awarded the prize was not asked for any identifica cases, up from 240 in 1997, an 18 percent increase. tion. (Elham to CAIR, 5/23/97; Southern Shows While harassment and violence decreased, discrimi Exposition Center to CAIR, 6/18/97) nation increased dramatically. Muslim individuals and organizations reported a total of 100 religious In Gaithersburg, Maryland, Shareen had just accommodation incidents in 1998, a 75 percent hung up the phone when a coworker at Classic increase over the 1997 record of 57 cases. Other Concierge of Chrysler Corporation asked her, ‘Was forms of discrimination claims increased by 51 per that a personal call?” When she answered that it had cent— from 98 cases in 1997 to 148 cases in 1998. not been a personal call, he replied, ‘Not when you’re speaking your terrorist language.” When Table (1) Incidents by Year Shareen objected to his remark, he said. “Why don’t you go back to your country?” Shareen’s supervisor Type of Concern 1997 1998 refused to take any corrective action, stating she was just an employee. (CAIR Incident Report Form, Discrimination (Workplace discrimination, 11/15/97; CAIR to Chrysler, 12/3/97) passenger profiling, police misconduct, court bias, etc.) 98 148 In Chicago, Illinois, a law firm immediately replaced a Muslim employee after she refused to Religious take off her hijab. An investigation by the EEOC accommodation 57 100 found the company in violation of Title VII of the Harassment 1964 Civil Rights Act. (EEOC Determination letter, 66 24 8/20/97) Violence 19 12 In Beaverton, Oregon, attorney Leonard Total 240 284 filed a discrimination lawsuit on July 21, 1997, against Fred Meyer for refusing to sell Levi’s 501 Reportin, patterns states jeans to three men because they are from Ethiopia, by Jordan and Yemen.
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