CAIR-Philadelphia was recently invited to help educators better understand the faith and circumstances of their Muslim American students. CAIR-Philadelphia Advisory Board member Margarita Miriam Abuawadeh facilitated the program, which was held on Tuesday November 8th, Election Day, in North Philadelphia.
While polling lines snaked around outside, CAIR-Philadelphia’s Civil Rights Attorney Ryan Houldin and CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Committee member Asheq Fazlullah were busy delivering a workshop for the Multilingual Family Support Department.
The presentation focused on explaining Islamophobia and defining the civil rights of public school students. This is the first in a series of workshops within the School District of Philadelphia to educate faculty, staff, and administrators regarding Islamophobia and cultural sensitivity. The School District of Philadelphia is the 8th largest in the country, with over 130,000 students. Additionally, it is estimated that about 1 in 5 students in the district are Muslim.
In the current political environment, Muslim American students are facing increased rates of bullying, emotional abuse, physical threats, and verbal epithets due to their faith, race, or ethnicity. Studies have shown a direct negative effect on student’s mental health and academic performance.
Contact CAIR-Philadelphia at 267-515-6710 or info@philadelphia.cair.com to set up a program to proactively educate teachers and administrators in your child’s school.
If your child or a child you know encounters Islamophobia, document and report to CAIR-Philadelphia at https://pa.cair.com/report/
