You Have Rights; Fight For Them

Freedom from hate, discrimination, and assault based on one’s religion should not be seen as a privilege. It is a birthright.

Islamophobia in the US has become so prevalent that one could say it is the new ‘normal’. Hate crimes and discrimination towards the innocent majority of Muslims is on the rise.

Sadly, it is often the youth who face the brunt of many of the attacks that our communities face. Young people suffer verbal abuse, intimidation, and appalling accounts of physical violence, all while having little experience, less knowledge, and few tools.

The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding noted that among Muslims with children in school, 42 percent of these report that their children are being bullied. CAIR California reported that 55 percent of Muslim children are bullied on the basis of their faith.

Such attacks can result in a range of mental health issues for children, including depression, poor school performance, and increased suicide risk. Children do not have to grow up accepting hate and discrimination as their fate.

They do not have to normalize being called a “terrorist,” or being told to “go back to where you came from.” They do not have to pressure themselves to conform just so that they can feel accepted in a land that is their home.

To help children understand that these are not natural, normal, or inevitable parts of life, we as a society must work harder to empower those same children to speak up when they feel unsafe. We must commit to creating safe spaces for them. We must provide them the tools and resources to work through the issues they face as results of their traumas.

It is on all of us to help them, and we at CAIR-NY encourage everyone to learn and assist as much as they can.

If your child or children have been subject to discrimination, hate, harassment, physical violence, or any kind of civil rights abuse or intimidation, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 646-665-7599

If you would like to learn more about how to make our communities safer for our kids, request an anti-bullying workshop through our website at https://www.cair-ny.org/request-a-workshop-or-event