Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia: Investigations against US universities
Following increased reports of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents at US educational institutions, the responsible authority is launching investigations into seven universities - including the elite Columbia and Cornell Universities. With the announcement, the US Department of Education is responding to an "alarming nationwide increase" in such reports since the Islamist Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Recently, the conflict in the Middle East has also erupted at universities and schools. US media reported incidents of physical violence or the threat of it. Anti-Semitic and racist graffiti appeared on school campuses. Videos circulating online showed young people tearing down posters with photos of the Hamas hostages.
"Hate has no place in our schools, period," was the message from US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. If pupils or students are targeted "because they are Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh or of any other ethnicity or descent", the responsible institutions must act "to ensure a safe and inclusive education".
Under the umbrella of the Civil Rights Act, educational institutions in the USA are legally obliged to protect students from discrimination. Passed in 1964 in the wake of the civil rights movement, the law continues to influence many facets of American coexistence today. It stipulates that people in the USA may not be discriminated against on the basis of skin color, religion, origin or gender.
The investigations into seven US universities, including Columbia and Cornell, are aimed at addressing the alarming rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents that have been reported since the Middle East conflict-fueled Hamas attack on Israel. Consequently, education institutions in the USA, as mandated by the Civil Rights Act, must take necessary actions to prevent and mitigate incidents of hate speech, such as anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, towards students of Jewish, Muslim, Arab, Sikh, or any other ethnicity or descent, creating a safe and inclusive learning environment.
Source: www.dpa.com
