Hate Crimes Against Muslim Youth in the US

[ShahnazZ]

:salam2:, I hope you're all in the best state of health and iman.

As some of you know, I work at an organization that works with Muslim women and girls. Currently, I'm focusing on implementing a public awareness campaign that will shed light on hate crimes committed against Muslim youth. Since it's a youth based campaign, I'm focusing on Muslim youth and spreading awareness about hate crimes committed against them in the US since 9/11. This will be in affiliation with the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Crime Prevention Council, AND the Office for Victims of Crime (before anyone cries foul and tells me I'm leading a "hatred against America" campaign).

The idea is that we will go into New York City public schools and educate high school teens about what their Muslim peers go through. The audience will include both Muslim and non-Muslim teens. The primary method is to do school workshops to spread this awareness. However, my creative juices are a bit stifled and I'm having trouble coming up with some exercises and workshop ideas. I've come up with the essentials such as statistics of hate crimes against American Muslim youth in recent years, the effects of such hate crimes, as well as a run-down of all other previously discriminated groups in the US.

I would just like more ideas as to how to make this a fun learning experience for teens.

All suggestions are welcome unless they're offensive to any other group. The goal is to get these kids to relate to what their peers are going through and eventually use that as the basis to get them to stop bullying them.

JazakAllah khair!

 

[JenGiove]

Sister,

I think that's wonderful! ok...here's my idea...sort-of. I'm stealing the basics of it from one of my favorite movies, "Lean On Me"...

Personally, I hated math and statistics. Why, I couldn't relate it into a picture.

While all the kids are sitting, have a percentage of them stand up that represent the amount of kids who are Muslim in NYC/America/the world...depending on what your stats will be showing..

Then have some of those sit back down and the rest who are standing represent the amount of kids who get harassed. If you are going for the broader, world view, you can tell them that each of them represents X amount of people.....

Then have some more sit back down and have the rest who are standing represent the amount of people who are arrested and prosecuted for their crimes. I don't know if you know the "Autism" Ad campaign but when you hear something like: "The chances of a child becoming a famous baseball player?? 1 in 10,000. The chances of a child being born with Autism?? 1 in 150"....

Just my two cents worth.

 

[Tabassum07]

:salam2: It would be ideal to get a movie to show them, but since I don't think there is any such video, give them a detailed account of what an average muslim's life is each day. Like how one wakes up early for Fajr before school, does all that, goes to school, hijabis worry about being perceived differently or singled out, both genders are anxious to try to fit in, yet they don't want to delve in too deeply with what their non muslim peers do with their lives... um.. basically something like give the non-muslims a muslim perspective.

I don't know if this will fit your requirement though

 

[ShahnazZ]

Great ideas guys! I'll definitely consider incorporating them. Keep 'em coming...

 

[helpinghumanity]

Great ideas guys! I'll definitely consider incorporating them. Keep 'em coming...

Assalamo alaikum sister:

It's not an easy task as it seems to be. Anyhow GOOD LUCK with that.

Nevertheless if you need my assistance in any school in Manhattan or Queens let me know. I used to work in MS 45 (Middle School) located on First avenue and E120TH street Manhattan and couple of other schools as an IT-TECH. However please let me know in advance at least 1 week. I hope your younger brother could help a little bit

wassalaam

 

[BigAk]

Have the non-muslim kids wear muslim garb (hijab for example) and have them walk out in the street for a day.... or two..

.

 

[hussain.mahammed]

Walaikum as salam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,

A great initiative by a Muslim Sister. May Allah Subhanahu wa Taala reward you.

In general people have a perception that these campaigns become too serious; but instead if you can incorporate some fun in them, that would be amazing. Include fun games, story telling and invite as many non-muslims as you can. Let them realize as Muslims we have fun too, but in the halal way.

Wasalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

 

[ShahnazZ]

Assalamo alaikum sister:

It's not an easy task as it seems to be. Anyhow GOOD LUCK with that.

Oh you don't have to tell me that. I've been doing this for awhile now and each and every time it stresses me out to an extreme degree. I can only hope that inshallah I make some kind of difference.

if you need my assistance in any school in Manhattan or Queens let me know. I used to work in MS 45 (Middle School) located on First avenue and E120TH street Manhattan and couple of other schools as an IT-TECH. However please let me know in advance at least 1 week. I hope your younger brother could help a little bit

Barakallahu feek akhi. I'll let you know if I need anything.