MEDIA ROUNDUP: CAIR-Chicago Discuss Spike in Serious Bullying Cases Against Muslim Students, Announce Major Anti-Bullying Project
On October 27th, CAIR-Chicago held a press conference with three clients as speakers addressing a surge in anti-Muslim bullying in the Chicagoland area. To close out National Bullying Prevention Month, CAIR-Chicago announced an initiative to help Muslim students stand up for themselves and find help if they need it. That initiative is Healsters.org.
PRESS RELEASE:
***MEDIA ADVISORY***
CAIR-CHICAGO TO DISCUSS SPIKE IN SERIOUS BULLYING CASES AGAINST MUSLIM STUDENTS IN CHICAGOLAND SUBURBS, ANNOUNCE MAJOR ANTI-BULLYING PROJECT
(CHICAGO, IL, 10/27/2021) – On Thursday, Oct. 28, the Chicago chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, (CAIR-Chicago), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, will hold a news conference to address the recent spike in cases of bullying targeting Muslim students in the Chicagoland area. A major anti-bullying project will be announced at the news conference.
CAIR-Chicago recently received a number of reports of bullying, harassment and discrimination of Muslim students at Chicagoland Suburban school districts spanning middle, junior and high schools, including egregious cases (one of which sadly led to a student losing his life).
In response to these reports, and as we close out national anti-Bullying month, CAIR-Chicago will be addressing some of these recent cases along with affected students and parents and announcing the launch of a major project aimed to stop bullying and protect students.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT HERE
WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE:
VIDEO AND RADIO NEWS COVERAGE:
WGN: Civil rights group launches anti bullying initiative following incidents at suburban school
NBC: Activist Group Says Many Chicago-Area Muslim Students Have Been Bullied
WBBM: Reports increase of anti-Muslim bullying at area schools: advocacy group
PRINT COVERAGE:
“A student with Middle Eastern features is asked if he is a “terrorist.” Another is told to go back to Saudi Arabia. A young woman wearing a hijab is told by her principal that prejudice was something she was simply going to have to learn to deal with.
A recent spike in the bullying of students of Middle Eastern descent in suburban Chicago schools needs to be urgently addressed, members of the Council on American Islamic Relations said Thursday.
“It’s every day we are getting calls from different family members, different school districts throughout the suburbs of Chicago,” said Emma Melton, a lawyer with the group, speaking to reporters at the organization’s downtown office. “Usually, they come in gradually throughout the school year. To see this to come in just a one-month period is really alarming to us.””
PHOTO ALBUM:
HEALSTERS.ORG
As a result of the surge in bullying towards Chicagoland's Muslim students, CAIR-Chicago launched Healsters, a place for support and education for those victimized by bullying and their loved ones.
Safety, dignity, respect are basic human rights. Every child deserves to feel excited about going to school - to feel embraced in their sacred space of learning. Only TOGETHER can we make this a reality for EVERYONE. Begin by reading Healsters’ Understanding Bullying primer, and then learn what you can do for yourself and your colleagues.