The Guardian: Tabah Syed.
Muslims (the followers of Islam) have become increasingly stereotyped, marginalized and criminalized since the horrific events of Sept. 11. This increasingly negative attitude towards Muslims quite seamlessly translates into violent actions against Muslim —as well as Sikh, Arab and South Asian —individuals and communities. According to the FBI, hate crimes against Muslim Americans increased 1,700 percent following the attacks on the Twin Towers.
But how does this statistic pertain to our own campus climate? Sadly, yet predictably, UCSD is not outside the systematic spread of misinformation and ignorance on the subject of Islam and Muslims. I have heard of and seen more than my fair share of anti-Islamic or anti- Muslim Student Association literature distributed around campus, graffiti marking the AP&M stairwell and Center Hall, hate emails sent to MSA board and the overall intimidation of and disrespect toward Muslim women and men on this campus.