The realities of working with young Muslims My Muslim Student The realities of working with young Muslims

Council on American Islamic Relations Who we are! Council on American Islamic Relations Mission: To enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. Sumaiya Zama Youth Empowerment Coordinator szama@cair.com Sumaiya and Nazia introduce themselves Nazia introduces CAIR Feel free to write down our contact information! If you’d like us to make a trip out to your school as well, please let us know, that is something we are very interested in

Goals Context to identity based bullying My Muslim Student fact sheet Some best practices

Just a few things to keep in mind: The Muslim community is a diverse group of people We won’t be talking about politics necessarily, but the impact that policies and politically charged climates can have on young people Feel free to interrupt to ask questions and share experiences. I’d like to learn from you as well!

Why identity based bullying matters Muslim are four times as likely to report bullying among their school-age children as the general public -Of these instances, 1/4 involved a teacher or other school official (ISPU.org) 31% of young Muslims admit to not feeling safe, respected, and welcome in school 41% of young Muslims feel uncomfortable approaching teachers about religious requests (CA.CAIR.COM) So why is it important to get to know your Muslim student? (read statistics)

Bullying vs. Crime Bullying Crime How does your school decide when the police are called? Bullying Teachers, admin, youth advocates Crime Police and prosecutors Hate Crime: A crime committed against someone or their property due to the victim's group identity. In Massachusetts, our laws protect victims targeted due to race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

Internalizing Xenophobic Rhetoric Young people are witnessing Islamophobic rhetoric in real time Internalization of messaging for both bullies and victims of bullying over the lifecourse What are the spaces to emotionally process? Young people are witnessing Islamophobic policies just as we are We have, as a society, collectively seen an impact How are young people emotionally processing the world around us?

Islamophobic rhetoric can lead to Negative mental health outcomes Depression Anxiety Thoughts of self-harm/suicide Lower sense of self-worth Poor academic performance Unwillingness to participate in groups Resentment/confusion towards own identity Loss in sense of belonging

Fact Sheet Q and A / Open Conversation

Best Practices: Empowering identity and tackling bullying, head on Muslim Student Literacy Inclusive Practices Classroom Allyship Storytelling

My Muslim Student literacy Being informed on the basics: Islam Muslims Islamophobia and its impact Be as informed as you possibly can on the basics of Islam and Muslims

Inclusion in an era of exclusion Young people are continuing to receive messages of exclusivity from many different outlets. How are you countering those messages with messages of inclusivity? How are you encouraging global and communal mindsets?

What inclusivity looks like Goal In action Establishing clear avenues of communication with your young people and their families -Frequent check ins with parents -Arranging for interpreter if needed -Communicating more than once to students that you are there for them -Creating space for religious accommodation Encouraging open and honest dialogue between students -Mediating and guiding conversation rather than shutting down dialogue Finding ways of creating community out of your classroom -Facilitating activities that celebrate difference -Creating visuals that represent how individuals make up the classroom ‘community’

Allyship in the classroom It’s very easy for young people to feel alone. How are you demonstrating the centering of young people’s identities as they navigate a world of increasing exclusivity and inaccessibility?

What allyship looks like Goal In Action Serving as an ‘ally’ when needed -Getting to know your students deeply so that you can serve as a better advocate for them when needed -Reaffirming students that are victims of bullying Knowing that you are a culture setter in the spaces you create -Pronouncing a young person’s name correctly in front of other students -Checking in with students about things they share about their identity -Demonstrating safe cultural exchange Encouraging a school culture that takes identity based bullying seriously -Being aware of your school’s bullying policies and protocol for escalation -Being aware of the damaging and last effects of identity based bullying on both bully and victim

Storytelling as a means of identity sharing Allow for lessons and spaces for storytelling! Storytelling grants young people the permission to be vulnerable while developing a genuine sense of self. It allows them to recognize not only their place in the world, but what they can do to solve problems they may have.

Storytelling Exercise

Emoji Debrief! Select an emoji that best represents your feelings in a particular moment today. Be prepared to share! 1 2 3 4 5

Additional Resources www.cair.com Sumaiya Zama www.tolerance.org Youth Empowerment Coordinator szama@cair.com www.cair.com www.tolerance.org www.ing.org www.isbsocal.org www.teachfortolerance.org