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Building Bridges with Arab and Muslim Community Members

Background

Since September 11, 2001, Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians living in the United States have suffered greatly from bullying in schools, infiltration of congregations by government agents and informants, hate crimes, and general suspicion based not on their own acts, but those of others.

Community groups who are concerned about threats to the liberties and well-being of targeted groups such as Muslim, Arab, and South-Asian citizens and noncitizens within their community can help end the targeting by building bridges to increase social interaction and replace mutual mistrust with mutual understanding and friendship.

Suggestions

The first important step is to meet. In establishing contact, keep in mind that many Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians are justifiably fearful, so ideally it is best to establish contact via existing relationships. For example, if someone in your group has Arab or Muslim friends, neighbors, workmates, or classmates. In the absence of such a relationship, try this:

If there is a mosque nearby, contact the mosque by telephone. Friday is the sacred day for Muslims, so 11 a.m., before Friday Prayer, is usually a good time to reach someone at the mosque. Explain that people in the community have formed a group and describe its purpose. Convey a message of understanding, feelings of concern for those who worship in the mosque who may be suffering, and an interest in meeting. Ask for suggestions of the best way to get together. For example, does the mosque have a community center, and if so, are there any public events planned that you or other members might attend? Would anyone from the mosque like to attend your group's meetings?

Trust is a big issue among people who have reason to fear visits from the FBI or INS, so you may sense reticence or skepticism about your identity. To help instill trust, consider writing a letter to the person at the mosque and listing the names of your members with their signatures. Be persistent, friendly, and patient.

Once you have overcome the first hurdles of establishing contact and gaining trust, here are some suggestions:

  1. Visit Muslim, Arab, and South-Asian neighbors and coworkers at their homes. Make them feel welcome in your neighborhood.
  2. When your children have questions about Muslims or Islam, ask your Muslim neighbors and friends for the right answer.
  3. Cosponsor an interfaith dialogue.
  4. Establish a more formal bond between a mosque and your own place of worship, and plan social events, inter-community picnics, and sports events to help people in the community get to know each other better.
  5. Invite Muslims to sit on local boards and committees.
  6. Remember Muslim holidays. A good resource is ReligiousTolerance.org.

Muslims, Arabs, and South Asians are very hospitable. Once you get to know them, you will enjoy their friendship. A few simple tips about Muslim culture and dress can help prevent misunderstandings:

  • When visiting a mosque, both men and women should dress modestly in clothing that covers your body, such as a shirt and slacks.
  • Many Muslim women do not shake hands with men. To avoid offense or awkwardness, introduce yourself and wait for them to offer their hand before reaching for it. Alternatively, a simple nod can indicate acknowledgment and respect.

These are a few suggestions that can help your community counteract the backlash, unfair targeting, and misunderstandings of your Arab and Muslim neighbors. Repeating these actions in communities nationwide will help prevent future targeting of innocent people by the federal government on the basis of racial and ethnic profiling.

Other Resources

Immigrants, Refugees, and Foreign Students

Threatened communities

For more information about Muslim religious beliefs, read "Leaders weigh in on Koran issue: Religious officials discuss the reverence Muslims, Christians and Jews have for their scriptures" by Waveney Ann Moore of the St. Petersburg Times.

For more information about Islam, visit the Council on American-Islamic Relations' "About Islam" page.

For more information about anti-Muslim harassment, Read the Executive Summary of CAIR's report, "Unpatriotic Acts: The Status of Muslim Civil Rights in the United States 2004."

BORDC thanks the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and Samina Faheem of American Muslim Voice for their help, suggestions, and review.