October 12, 2023
Greetings of peace,
The news from the Middle East is beyond tragic with no end in sight. As an Arab American, while grieving over the lost lives, I personally have also been feeling a little anxious, especially when I go out since I wear a hijab or headscarf as a Muslim. Jewish Americans are also concerned about their safety in the current climate, including those who wear a yarmulke, kippah or skullcap. Many of you may be experiencing similar anxiety on top of the news and misinformation we’re all being exposed to. If you are concerned about your safety due to your appearance, be aware of your surroundings and take precautions such as avoiding areas with few people, especially at night.
Preventing Bullying in Schools
We have received positive feedback on our last netnote which focused on preventing bullying in schools. We also held a listening session with public school students and received feedback from them that: 1) their schools are taking a position on the conflict and using imbalanced curriculum to teach about it; 2) other students are teasing and bullying Arab and Muslim students; and 3) teachers have exhibited bias in the way that they discuss the conflict.
All three of these complaints are very problematic. Schools and educators, as professionals responsible for the welfare of all their students have an obligation to remain neutral and objective. Otherwise, showing partisanship can lead to bias and hate towards another group. We urge you to read our bullying guidelines and adhere to them. If you have any questions, we are happy to come to your school and do a training on Islamophobia and antisemitism with Muslim and Jewish speakers. For any questions or to schedule a training write to me at mail@ing.org.
Maintaining Peaceful and Inclusive Workplaces
We have also heard from employees at various corporations of similar issues and we plan on holding a listening session to learn more about their concerns.
For the last 30 years we have conducted corporate trainings and panels of diverse ethnic and religious speakers on world religions, racism, and anti-racism for employees and corporate leaders.
In light of the tragic current violence in Israel and Gaza, we hope you will keep the following in mind:
- If you are a corporate manager or anyone with authority, regardless of your position on the conflict, you have a duty and obligation to create a safe and peaceful environment for all your employees.
- You may have employees with family members or friends who have died, been injured or are still caught in this conflict. Consider sharing a message of care and support to everyone impacted by the conflict.
- For those impacted, acknowledge their loss and grieving and allow them to take PTO if needed.
- For employees feeling sad or overwhelmed, provide them a safe space at work for them to grieve.
- Understand that emotions are running high right now on both sides and work proactively to acknowledge the pain and maintain a peaceful workplace.
- Employees, be they Muslim, Jewish, Arab, Israeli or perceived members of any of these groups, should not be held accountable for this conflict.
- Prevent harassment against employees who are perceived to be Arab, Muslim, Israeli, or Jewish.
- This conflict should not be grounds for increased Islamophobia or antisemitism. Islamophobia and antisemitism have been around for centuries and it is important to recognize how deep-seated and dangerous these biases are, and avoid contributing to them.
- Respecting freedom of expression does not mean condoning disparaging co-workers or anyone. All co-workers deserve to be treated with respect and dignity.
- Reassure at-risk groups of support and anti-harassment policies.
- Make clear that there is zero tolerance for harassment of employees in your company.
- Consider sending out a corporate email with company policies around harassment
- Make sure that all employees feel safe to report harassment and bigotry.
- Make sure that you follow your company’s policies on harassment.
- Provide guidelines for safe conversations about the conflict and uphold appropriate communication policies in the company. Guidelines include:
- Keep all conversations respectful and avoid arguing or becoming emotional.
- Avoid beginning conversations with demands for condemnations. Instead of assuming support for a group or country’s actions, ask, “How do you feel about . . . ?”
- Listen to learn and understand a different perspective, not to argue. Appropriate dialogue acknowledges diversity of opinion; understand that people have differences of opinion on Palestine and Israel, and don’t attack people for their divergent opinions.
- Help employees understand the impact of implicit bias which can override people’s values, which is especially true in times of fear or stress.
- For company communication channels that have been used to discuss the conflict, provide guidelines for appropriate posts and ensure that these policies are upheld.
- Reminder-Legal Protection of Religious Rights of Employees:
- Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin.
- Title VII states that an employer may not discriminate against a person due to his/her religion, including in firing or failing to hire them.
- An employer must take steps to prevent religious harassment of their employees and provide a hate-free environment.
ING Related Resources:
- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Islam and Muslims
- Countering Islamophobia in Education
- Corporate Trainings about Muslim Americans in the Workplace, Religious Diversity in the Workplace, and Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Workplace.
ING staff and speakers are here to support you in every way we can if you’re working towards peace by building understanding and respect, promoting religious and ethnic pluralism, countering all forms of bigotry, and fostering a culture of belonging in your corporation or business.
Regards,
Maha Elgenaidi
ING Founder and Executive Director
