September 30, 2016

As the blowback from this summer carried over into the month of August, the Bay Area’s American Muslim community continued to experience a steady flow of civil rights concerns. The complaints involved the average xenophobic civilian, overzealous law enforcement, and racist landlords. In the Civil Rights Department, we see the nastiest shades of Islamophobia. That only makes the fight for advancing the legal interests of American Muslims all the more imperative. Although it can be a time-consuming and lengthy battle, it’s that moment a positive outcome is achieved for the client that makes the fight so rewarding. But, it’s easy to talk about the wins.
The reality, however, is that there are other moments that often end in a jaded silence. These are the moments when the Islamophobia is so pervasive and so unbearable that the client cannot survive another millisecond of it. They are so desperate to escape and forget the situation all together, despite when the law is strongly in their favor. They just want to move on with their lives and pretend like nothing ever happened. And who can blame them? No one deserves to be put through that kind of abuse. This month, I want to shed light on one such case that fell on the Civil Rights Desk:
She was a Muslim immigrant, a senior citizen, and a disabled widow of eleven years. She built a home and community for herself in the Bay Area for the past 30 years, always living in the exact same rental apartment. There were never any major issues until a new landlord took over the building and began harassing her. Among the many appalling acts of harassment was an incident where the landlord slipped an anti-Muslim note under her door which read, “Get out or I’ll call the FBI!!” After receiving this note, she no longer felt safe in her tenancy.
By the time she was referred to our office, the matter had escalated so high that she had already signed an early release agreement that was much to her detriment and unjustly enriched the landlord. CAIR-SFBA was ready to advocate for her and could likely have obtained a much more favorable outcome on her behalf. But she was understandably desperate to escape the grim and racist treatment of her landlord. Even though she had a strong case in her favor, the harassment was too much for her to bare another day. As a result, the early termination of the lease meant that she had to find a new place to live. However, she could no longer afford rent locally. Thus, she was forced to relocate outside the Bay Area. The harassment ultimately lead her to be constructively wrenched away from her home and beloved community of over 30 years.
This case is meant to highlight the lasting impact Islamophobia has on American Muslims in the Bay Area. It should never get that far. No one deserves to be put through such Islamophobia and abuse where their only option is to relocate. CAIR-SFBA is committed toward standing against all forms of Islamophobia and protecting the interests of American Muslims in the Bay Area.
If you or a loved one experience a hate crime or hate incident, no matter how small you may think it is, we strongly urge you to report it immediately. All reports to CAIR are confidential and there is no charge for our services.
Sincerely,
Saba Maher
Civil Rights Coordinator