As reports of hate crimes against Muslims grow, here’s how you can help

The rise in anti-Muslim acts is undeniable and unnerving. Three Palestinian college students were shot in Vermont, and when a six-year-old was stabbed in Chicago, his mother couldn’t attend his funeral because she’d been stabbed, too.

In Georgia, a middle school teacher was arrested after he allegedly threatened to behead a 13-year-old Muslim student.

But most incidents of Islamophobia don’t make headlines – or even go reported.

This recent unprecedented surge of anti-Muslim bias prompted the White House to announce a national strategy to combat Islamophobia.

Corey Saylor of The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says his organization receives daily reports of Islamophobia, including incidents where people probably could have helped. In one case, they say, a woman was verbally harassed in a crowded grocery store without a single person coming to her aid.

Saylor says that’s in stark contrast to a recent incident in the Fort Lauderdale airport, where a Muslim woman was harassed by a man who filmed her and threatened to “report” her to authorities. Two bystanders immediately sat down next to her. Others gathered around the victim. From across the room, a woman pulled out her phone and began recording the man, and then posted the video to TikTok.

Saylor says this is an example of how when one person rushes in to help, others often follow. It’s easy to be paralyzed in an uncomfortable situation, but offering assistance - if it’s safe to do so - is like giving first aid, says Saylor. You might not know exactly what to do, but you do your best in the situation.

The Maryland office of CAIR is offering bystander or “upstander” intervention training to teach people how they can help if they see someone being harassed.

He stresses that if there’s any threat of violence, you need to leave immediately. However, if a person is being verbally harassed but doesn’t seem to be in physical danger, you could shout out from a safe distance. That distraction could be enough to disrupt the situation. You could also walk over to and ask the victim if they want you to call the police. If you’re able to record the occurrence with your phone, that can be useful for law enforcement. If you can’t do that, or you just don’t think of it at the time, immediately jot down everything you remember about the incident. This could be a huge help for the victim in the future.

The focus of the training, according to Saylor, is to directly support the target of the hate bias while ignoring the perpetrator. That way, the person who’s targeted feels supported, and the oxygen is taken away from the perpetrator. Helping could be as simple as offering a reassuring smile or moving closer to the person being harassed.

CAIR offers its “upstanders” training both in person and online. The courses are free. If you’re interested in booking one, contact info@cair.com

So what can you do to safely de-escalate a situation if you witness one? And what can Muslims do to keep themselves safe? CAIR has these suggestions:

WHAT BYSTANDERS OR “UPSTANDERS” CAN DO:

HELP FOR PALESTINIAN, MUSLIM AND ARAB STUDENTS:

While no one wants young people to be fearful, Muslim organizations encourage students to exercise caution, especially right now. Those concerns led CAIR to put out a list of safety tips for Muslim students.

Some of their suggestions include: