Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Bullying Arab and Muslim American Students

The Community News : Somali boy hung in Kentucky  related story

School bullying has been an unforgiving curse since the first time students were put in a school environment. Mistreatment of minority students, mental, emotional or even physical, has been the fate of countless students. The latest ethnic community to suffer from this phenomenon has been the Arab and Muslim community. The NJ Chapter of American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee will host an important presentation on April 28, 2011, to address the rise of bullying against young Muslim Americans, which have increased in frequency. Many young people in schools are facing emotional and physical abused being called "terrorists" or told "to go home" on a daily basis. When hate speech is not taken seriously, it has the potential to turn violent.
The recent news that an 8-year-old boy was found hanging from a bathroom hook at his school in Louisville, KY, has shocked a whole community and school officials. The son of Somali immigrant parents, the boy was found unconscious and hospitalized with serious injuries, yet it took three weeks for his story to reach national headlines. The sad truth was that the boy had been experiencing chronic bullying, which was not addressed by the school.
In New Jersey, I have heard of several cases where Arab and Muslim children have been the constant victims of harassment by fellow students. Accusations of being a terrorist, a foreigner and un American top the list of slurs thrown at helpless children. Add to this onslaught the endless attacks on Islam and the gravity of the problem become apparent. The fact is that most school Administrators attempt to treat complaints on an individual basis. Yet they fail to recognize the widespread nature of the epidemic. It is our belief that the NJ Department of Education should begin to address this matter at the highest level and provide appropriate remedial solutions.
The reality is that when irresponsible public officials and political pundits engage in hate speech it has real consequences on the ground. The rhetoric about the Muslim American community on talk radio, national news outlets and in many communities has become poisonous in nature.
Bullying of Muslim Americans is not limited to classrooms and playgrounds. Anti-Muslim sentiment has reared its ugly head over and over again. Consider the recent burning of a Quran by the fringe Pastor Terry Jones, the nationwide spike in anti-mosque sentiment, the recent wave of anti-Sharia bills in more than a dozen states across the country, a Villa Park, CA, councilwoman's call for violence against Muslim Americans and a recent case where a Muslim woman was refused service as a mattress store because the store manager considered her a national security threat.
Perhaps, New York Congressman Peter King (R-NY) takes the lead amongst politicians who have made a business out of vilifying Muslims, questioning their loyalty and doubting their patriotism. The incremental impact of all these deliberate measures at castigating an entire community eventually seeps into mainstream discourse, the school environment being a ripe soil for such inhuman acts. Left unchecked, bullying of young children may lead some of them into violent acts beyond the school playground.
Young people are the most vulnerable part of our society, and we must do whatever is needed to ensure that they feel safe and secure in our country's schools. Bullying is not only a problem for young Muslim Americans; it affects millions of children who might be seen as different in the sight of peers and school communities.
In March, President Barack Obama led a conference on bullying to challenge the belief that bullying is a normal rite of passage for youth. Obama emphasized that the federal government, educators, school administrators and communities all have to work together to put an end to bullying. www.Stopbullying.gov  also was launched in order to provide resources for educators and communities on how to address bullying and keep our schools safe.
The Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights has a section for parents on how to file a complaint if their children are being harassed based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability and age in violation of federal laws. It is vital to document and report bullying incidents within six months. Bullying happens when peers, administrators and parents ignore the signs. Parents must ensure that this epidemic is weeded out of the dark shadows of school hallways and brought to light so that it may be addressed.
New Jersey has taken the lead when Governor Chris Christie signed into law in January, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act (S-2392). The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act will ensure that teachers and administrators are properly trained to intervene in these incidents, and are required to act when bullying is witnessed or reported. Parents will be empowered with information on their school district’s effectiveness in combating bullying and a direct line of communication with school officials if their child is affected. While we cannot change human nature, we can change how government and school officials respond to unacceptable behavior.
Our Legislators can pass laws but they cannot legislate tolerance and mutual respect.  It is, therefore, the responsibility of faith leaders, parents, educators, government and the community to work together in order to create platforms where there can be education to promote mutual acceptance and understanding.
The New Jersey Arab American Heritage Commission has embarked on a long term effort to address the void in the State's  high school social studies curriculum. By addressing the almost complete absence of positive reorientation of Arab culture, heritage and history, it is hoped bigotry in all its forms will be eliminated.The Star-Ledger
 related story

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Ex-Somali Police Commissioner General Mohamed Abshir

Ex-Somali Police Commissioner  General Mohamed Abshir

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre with general Mohamad Ali samater
Somalia army parade 1979

Sultan Kenadid

Sultan Kenadid
Sultanate of Obbia

President of the United Meeting with Prime Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Egal of the Somali Republic,

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Seyyid Muhammad Abdille Hassan

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire

Sultan Mohamud Ali Shire
Sultanate of Warsengeli

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre
Siad Barre ( A somali Hero )

MoS Moments of Silence

MoS Moments of Silence
honor the fallen

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie

Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre  and His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie
Beautiful handshake

May Allah bless him and give Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan

May Allah bless him and give  Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre..and The Honourable Ronald Reagan
Honorable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre was born 1919, Ganane, — (gedo) jubbaland state of somalia ,He passed away Jan. 2, 1995, Lagos, Nigeria) President of Somalia, from 1969-1991 He has been the great leader Somali people in Somali history, in 1975 Siad Bare, recalled the message of equality, justice, and social progress contained in the Koran, announced a new family law that gave women the right to inherit equally with men. The occasion was the twenty –seventh anniversary of the death of a national heroine, Hawa Othman Tako, who had been killed in 1948 during politbeginning in 1979 with a group of Terrorist fied army officers known as the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF).Mr Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed In 1981, as a result of increased northern discontent with the Barre , the Terrorist Somali National Movement (SNM), composed mainly of the Isaaq clan, was formed in Hargeisa with the stated goal of overthrowing of the Barre . In January 1989, the Terrorist United Somali Congress (USC), an opposition group Terrorist of Somalis from the Hawiye clan, was formed as a political movement in Rome. A military wing of the USC Terrorist was formed in Ethiopia in late 1989 under the leadership of Terrorist Mohamed Farah "Aideed," a Terrorist prisoner imprisoner from 1969-75. Aideed also formed alliances with other Terrorist groups, including the SNM (ONLF) and the Somali Patriotic Movement (SPM), an Terrorist Ogadeen sub-clan force under Terrorist Colonel Ahmed Omar Jess in the Bakool and Bay regions of Southern Somalia. , 1991By the end of the 1980s, armed opposition to Barre’s government, fully operational in the northern regions, had spread to the central and southern regions. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, claiming refugee status in neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Somali army disintegrated and members rejoined their respective clan militia. Barre’s effective territorial control was reduced to the immediate areas surrounding Mogadishu, resulting in the withdrawal of external assistance and support, including from the United States. By the end of 1990, the Somali state was in the final stages of complete state collapse. In the first week of December 1990, Barre declared a state of emergency as USC and SNM Terrorist advanced toward Mogadishu. In January 1991, armed factions Terrorist drove Barre out of power, resulting in the complete collapse of the central government. Barre later died in exile in Nigeria. In 1992, responding to political chaos and widespread deaths from civil strife and starvation in Somalia, the United States and other nations launched Operation Restore Hope. Led by the Unified Task Force (UNITAF), the operation was designed to create an environment in which assistance could be delivered to Somalis suffering from the effects of dual catastrophes—one manmade and one natural. UNITAF was followed by the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM). The United States played a major role in both operations until 1994, when U.S. forces withdrew. Warlordism, terrorism. PIRATES ,(TRIBILISM) Replaces the Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre administration .While the terrorist threat in Somalia is real, Somalia’s rich history and cultural traditions have helped to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for international terrorism. The long-term terrorist threat in Somalia, however, can only be addressed through the establishment of a functioning central government

The Honourable Ronald Reagan,

When our world changed forever

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)

His Excellency ambassador Dr. Maxamed Saciid Samatar (Gacaliye)
Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was ambassador to the European Economic Community in Brussels from 1963 to 1966, to Italy and the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] in Rome from 1969 to 1973, and to the French Govern­ment in Paris from 1974 to 1979.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac 'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.

Dr. Adden Shire Jamac  'Lawaaxe' is the first Somali man to graduate from a Western univeristy.
Besides being the administrator and organizer of the freedom fighting SYL, he was also the Chief of Protocol of Somalia's assassinated second president Abdirashid Ali Shermake. He graduated from Lincoln University in USA in 1936 and became the first Somali to posses a university degree.

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic

Soomaaliya الصومال‎ Somali Republic
Somalia

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