Muslim Student Safety

1. FOSIS Briefing: The Case for Muslim Students and Safety on Campus

“Since the tragic events of 7/7 we have seen an increase in anti-Muslim hatred across society. Campuses are not immune from this evil scourge. We must all collectively come together during these difficult times of tension and misunderstanding to ensure we stand united on a core principle; that of the right of every student, Muslim or non-Muslim, to carry on their daily activities without fear of harm. Now more then ever we need to realise this and act upon it with a matter of urgency. Campuses have historically been safe spaces, arenas via which debate can flourish and ideas be exchanged, let us work hard to ensure that the next generation of students have access to the same kind of privileges and rights that we did."cccc
Faisal Hanjra, FOSIS President

In light of the recent rise in Islamophobia and racism within our society which has caused an unprecedented escalation in the number of attacks towards Muslims, the Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS) is campaigning for measures to ensure the safety of Muslim students on campus.

Far-right groups such as the British National Party (BNP) have made significant gains in local Council and European elections. The English Defence League (EDL) have violently taken to the streets, whipping up hatred by claiming the 'Islamification' of Britain, targeting mosques and Muslim communities in cities such as London, Birmingham, Stoke and Manchester.  We believe that feelings of fear and intimidation have been heightened in Muslim communities and the threat that we face is not a myth. Islamophobic and racist incidents have been increasing since the horrific 7/7 bombings which took place in London in 2005.

Inaccurate and sensationalist media reporting surrounding Muslims and Islamic extremism has helped foster and normalise a culture of Islamophobia. Unfortunately, this culture also pervades our campuses and Muslim students have become vulnerable to attacks within the grounds of their own institutions, and physical attacks have taken place.  Irresponsible groups that claim of widespread extremism on campus, an opinion widely condemned as untrue, and misrepresent Muslim students as such, foolishly create a climate of hostility, tension and spread fear on campus.  If this was not serious enough, Muslims have also allegedly been the target of spying and harassment by security agents, who have accused ordinary students of being a threat to national security."

Attacks on Muslim students

Concerning statistics published by the NUS Black Students' Campaign stated that 72 per cent of Muslim women have experienced verbal abuse and threatening behaviour relating directly to their visible Muslim presence. Furthermore, in a survey conducted by FOSIS in 2005, it was revealed that 25 per cent of Muslim students had experienced physical or verbal Islamophobia on campus. Both sets of data, and recent violent attacks that have been perpetrated against Muslim students, indicate a serious need for increased measures to ensure safety on campus.

In November of this year, Muslim students at City University in London were the target of a series of attacks culminating with three students being stabbed on St. John Street in the immediate vicinity of the University after being surrounded by over 30 youths. Earlier in the week, a Muslim student was verbally abused on his way to a prayer room at the University before he and other students who were escorting him to the tube were subsequently attacked, causing them severe head injuries.

Mohammed Al-Majed, a Muslim international student from Qatar was killed in a racially -motivated attack in Hastings in 2008. He was beaten, kicked and hit with bottles during the attack and died later in hospital as a result of his serious head injuries.

At Manchester University, a Muslim student wearing a headscarf was the subject of verbal and physical abuse as she left the university library. Two men shouted comments such as "paki" and "terrorist", and then tried to forcibly remove her headscarf. After she resisted their attempts, they slapped her and left her with a split lip. The Police were slow to react to this case and only did so after added pressure from the Students’ Union. The campus Police Liaison Officer was only informed of this case one week after the incident took place.

These are a few examples of what we do know.  We have also come to learn that there are many attacks that have gone unreported.

There has been an alarming rise in Islamophobic attacks being reported.  To name but some; in September 2009 an elderly gentlemen was beaten to death outside a mosque where he had just prayed in Tooting, South-West London.  This took place in front of his three-year old granddaughter; and followed other attacks on individuals around the same mosque in weeks before.

Months before this in 2009 a mosque in Luton was firebombed in a midnight blaze; the same mosque that houses over 90 children in the daytime and often members in the evening.  In July 2009 an “Islamic Relief” charity shop was set on fire after repeated threats.  The same goes for Greenwich Islamic Centre which was also firebombed.  These examples are a few; many more have been related over recent years, with an increase in the last year.

Achieving Safety on Campus

It is of utmost importance that safety of all students is treated as a priority and steps are taken to ensure that students feel safe whilst pursuing education at University.  As part of diverse student communities, we believe that the concerning pattern of attacks against Muslim students demands specific attention today.

We recognise that in order to achieve safety on campus for Muslim students several key issues need to be addressed, as following.  It is important for Islamic Societies to meet promptly with Student Unions, as well as local police and University staff, in order for these to be met.

• Campus security provisions Universities and Unions should have provisions in place to maximise security for all students, such as better lighting around campus with no ‘dark spots’, as well as effective patrolling. Universities should also liaise with local councils to push for better lighting in student housing areas, nearby parks and provide advice to students on how they can stay safe.
  
  
• Raising awareness on campus Training should be offered to sabbatical Union officers and staff in order to increase their understanding of issues surrounding Islamophobia and racism in order to create adequate support services and to run effective campaigns.  It should be recognised that there is a specific issue of Islamophobic attacks, as related in this briefing.
  
  
• Reporting crime It is widely accepted that hate crime is under-reported to the Police, yet reporting incidents to the Police is the first step toward tackling the issue. We strongly encourage the promotion of hate crime reporting facilities, such as that of the Muslim Safety Forum or Stop Hate UK.
  
  
• Increasing trust There are already general feelings of distrust amongst Muslims towards the Police due to the widespread belief that the Police are complacent about Islamophobia and racism. It is imperative that swift action is taken to investigate incidents that have been reported and that the University and Police take these matters seriously.  Further to this, police and local Muslim communities must work together to build levels of trust, on the specific agenda of safety; whilst local-education to the challenges faced by Muslim communities is important.
  
  

• “Security blueprint”: clear policies in every university/college on security: the creation of a safe and secure learning environment that promotes the well being of student and staff.  A security policy must be worked up by senior management, consulted on by students (through the Student Union) and agreed by the governing body, then widely published throughout the organisation.  A senior manager for this alongside a management process is something we find necessary to implement, monitor, assess and continually review the policy.

Download the FOSIS Briefing: The Case for Muslim Students and Safety on Campus