(SACRAMENTO, CA, 12/20/13)— The California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-CA) yesterday released a first-of-its-kind report documenting bias-based bullying of American Muslim students in that state's schools.
The new report, "Growing in Faith: California Muslim Youth Experiences with Bullying, Harassment and Religious Accommodation in Schools," reveals that nearly half of Muslim students say they have been subjected to some form of bias-based bullying. The findings are based on a statewide survey of almost 500 Muslim students, ages 11 to 18. They were asked questions about their relationships with peers and teachers, as well as their comfort levels participating in discussions about Islam and Muslims.
(Left to Right): Assemblymember Roger Dickinson, CAIR Northern California Civil Rights Coordinator Rachel Roberts, CAIR Sacramento Valley Executive Director Basim Elkarra, Sikh community leader Iqbal Badwalz, and Andy Noguchi from the Florin JACL. |
The report also shares anecdotes from CAIR-CA's case files to highlight the problems reported to the civil rights organization's offices and includes information about recent changes to the law because of high-profile cases of extreme school bullying.
Additionally, the report provides information for parents about how to request religious accommodation for their child and a list of resources that parents can use to learn more about the issues children face at school.
CAIR-CA is a chapter of CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SV Executive Director Basim Elkarra, 916.289.3748, belkarra@cair.com; CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo, 626.252.0885, zbilloo@cair.com; CAIR-LA Communications Coordinator Yasmin Nouh, 714.776.1847, ynouh@cair.com; CAIR-SD Executive Director Hanif Mohebi, 858.278.4547, hmohebi@cair.com