In First: Muslim Americans Train FBI on Islamophobia
The training aimed to educate federal agents and officials on the causes and effects of anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination, and to foster trust and partnership between them and the Muslim American community, ABC7 News reported.
Maha Elgenaidi, Executive Director of Islamic Networks Group (ING), one of the organizers of the training, said they wanted the FBI to be allies in preventing and responding to hate crimes against Muslims.
"One out of two Muslim students are bullied based on their religion. And according to other polls, Muslim communities experience more prejudice than any other religious community in their interaction with law enforcement," she said.
Elgenaidi says Islamophobia is not happening in a vacuum. The training addressed how Islamophobia is more than just outright bigotry and racism. It includes stereotypes and misinformation, which lead to institutional discrimination against Muslim Americans - all the way up to national security policy.
"Lack of trust that has always existed between the FBI and the Muslim Americans communities where Muslim Americans have been viewed from the lens of national security," says Elgenaidi.
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Salam Al-Marayati, President of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, another organizer, said “even before 9/11, in the last 50 years, the American Muslim community has been treated as a suspect community," noting that they suffer from harassment, discrimination and profiling at airports, banks and other institutions.
FBI Special agent Robert Tripp, who is in charge of San Francisco's field office, said the training was helpful for gaining the perspective of the Muslim community. "One of the concerns that came up is how the Muslim community are perceived by other communities and government servants, indeed law enforcement. So I am gaining their perspective. That was helpful for us to in developing communication strategies," said Special Agent Tripp.
Elgenaidi and Al-Marayati said they hoped the training would lead to more outreach and cooperation between the FBI and the Muslim American community, and encourage more reporting of hate crimes and incidents.
They said education was the key to changing policy and combating Islamophobia.
Source: Agencies
