University of Georgia Sued over Discrimination against Muslims
The Council on American Islamic Relations said on Tuesday it filed a civil rights complaint on behalf of some students at the University of Georgia alleging differential treatment of people of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim descent.
The complaint alleges the University of Georgia's actions violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars federal funds recipients from allowing discrimination based on race, religion and national origin. It was filed with the US Education Department and urges a federal probe into the university.
The council said pro-Palestinian students have been the target of anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and Islamophobic harassment since Israel's war on the Gaza Strip began in October, adding the university did not do enough to prevent the harassment or remedy its effects.
The university claimed it supports free speech and does not discriminate based on race or religion while also enforcing its rules and holding accountable those who violate policies.
There have been numerous protests in the United States, including on college campuses, against US support for the Israeli regime's war in Gaza, with some turning violent.
Read More:
There has also been Islamophobic rhetoric in some counter protests. Human rights advocates have warned about rising Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 41,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry, while displacing nearly the entire population of 2.3 million, causing a hunger crisis and leading to genocide allegations against Israel at the World Court.
Source: Reuters
