How can understanding antisemitism and Islamophobia help us to recognize and address these forms of hate in education spaces and in our communities?
In our globally connected society, nurturing young people’s interest in understanding and engaging with what is happening in and beyond their communities and our nation is essential. And we must do so in ways that reject hate and bias.
The conflict in the Middle East, which escalated following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack in Israel and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, has led to an increase in hate incidents targeting people who are –
The rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in our society is also taking place in our schools. To address these forms of hate in schools and classrooms, we need to understand and address bigotry and proactively take measures to emphasize inclusion. This begins with an understanding of what Islamophobia and antisemitism are.
This learning journey is the first of two resources developed from the LFJ article “Understanding and Countering Antisemitism and Islamophobia in Schools” by Rachael Fugardi, Jaci Jones, Caleb Kieffer and Alon Milwicki.
We recommend continuing your learning for action with the second part, Transforming School Culture To Address Antisemitism and Islamophobia.
What Is Islamophobia?
Islamophobia is fear and hostility directed toward the religion of Islam and Muslims.
Islam is a world religion of approximately 1.9 billion people of various ethnicities. While not all Arabs are Muslim, Islamophobia is often connected to anti-Arab hate because Islam has been racialized and associated with Arab people. Because of this racialization of Islam, other people – often those of Asian heritage – who are perceived to be Muslim or Arab might be targeted by anti-Muslim hate.
Islamophobia can manifest in various ways. The Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign, a coalition of multifaith leaders committed to challenging anti-Muslim bigotry, categorizes Islamophobia into five “I’s”: ideological, institutional, interpersonal, internalized and intersectional.
- Institutionalized Islamophobia can refer to state-sponsored activities such as mass surveillance of Muslim communities, violations of civil rights and anti-Islam legislation introduced by lawmakers, as well as domestic and foreign policy.
- Ideological Islamophobia involves private, nongovernment actors who push anti-Muslim bigotry. This includes organized groups devoted to spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric and conspiracy theories. Over 30 of these groups have been designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
- Interpersonal Islamophobia can include incidents like hate crimes, harassment and bullying of those who are Muslim or perceived to be Muslim.
- Internalized Islamophobia pertains to mental health, self-image, and spiritual and holistic well-being. Some Muslims might internalize anti-Muslim stereotypes and tropes, such as followers of Islam being less civilized or more prone to violence than other people.
- Islamophobia can also be intersectional. Those who peddle Islamophobia might also adhere to white supremacist ideology or push other forms of discrimination like antisemitism, gender bias or hostility toward LGBTQ+ people.
Importantly, the various ways Islamophobia might manifest are not mutually exclusive and often work together to fuel acts of hate. For example, while an individual who commits a hate crime might not belong to an organized group, they might be influenced by anti-Islam rhetoric pushed by an ideological group. And anti-Muslim government policies can influence individuals to feel justified in harassing people perceived to be Muslim.
Anti-Muslim hate groups –particularly those with white supremacist ideology – “spread disinformation, prejudice and conspiracy theories about Muslims and Islam,” which include “denigrating Muslims and their faith as being monolithic, irrational, intolerant and a violent threat to American society.”
What Is Antisemitism?
Antisemitism is broadly defined as prejudice and hatred toward Jews, both as individuals and as a group, because of their Jewish identity. While the term “antisemitism” is more recent, anti-Jewish bigotry is one of the oldest forms of hatred.
Being Jewish “can be described as an ethnic, religious and cultural identity – some Jews identify with all three of those types of identity, others with just one or two.” Approximately 15 million people worldwide identify as Jewish, with roughly 7 million in the United States.
While it operates as an energizing force behind white supremacy, antisemitism exists across racial and ethnic groups and political lines. Antisemitism, like Islamophobia, can manifest through institutionalized discrimination, ideological bigotry and interpersonal behaviors, along with internalized and intersectional aspects.
Anti-Jewish codes, tropes and assumptions have a long history, and because of their often coded nature, people may not recognize antisemitism or how it negatively affects the daily experiences of Jewish Americans. However, ignoring the ways antisemitism manifests in microaggressions and stereotypes allows the justification of harassment, dehumanization and violence. Prominent examples of antisemitic tropes include the following:
- Vilifying Jews as powerful puppet masters who control governments and institutions. This includes global conspiracies about secret societies and economic power. This trope portrays Jews as covertly orchestrating world events, often through secretive and hidden organizations or financial influence, perpetuating harmful stereotypes of Jews as manipulative and all-powerful.
- Associating Jewish people with greed and money. This stereotype suggests that Jews are inherently obsessed with wealth and financial gain, feeding into age-old prejudices that paint Jewish people as untrustworthy or exploitative.
- Denying or distorting the Holocaust. This involves rejecting, revising or downplaying the genocide of 6 million Jews during World War II, which not only disrespects the memory of victims but, under the guise of “seeking the truth,” also enables the resurgence of antisemitism by undermining historical facts.
- Accusations of disloyalty to the U.S. or “dual loyalty” claims. This trope falsely accuses Jewish Americans of prioritizing Israel’s interests over those of the United States – or any other country where Jewish people live – and fosters suspicion and mistrust toward Jewish citizens based solely on their religion.
- Blood libel and deicide. These historical accusations falsely claim that Jews engage in ritualistic murder, such as using the blood of Christian children for religious purposes, and they hold Jews collectively responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. These dangerous myths have fueled violence and persecution against Jewish communities for centuries.
These antisemitic tropes are often used to manufacture fear and justify acts of bigotry by portraying Jews as undermining society and endangering others. Antisemitism plays a foundational role in many of the ideologies embraced by the hate groups the SPLC tracks. Extremists across the ideological spectrum use antisemitism to stir up panic and divide society. However, antisemitism reaches far beyond the confines of hate groups. In fact, much of the antisemitism seen in schools, in particular, is perpetuated by various stakeholders both in the classroom and outside of it.
How Do Antisemitism and Islamophobia Show Up in Schools?
Understanding antisemitism and Islamophobia and recognizing how hate and bias manifest in schools and harm young people are important steps toward finding ways to cultivate communities of support and affirmation for all.
Antisemitism and Islamophobia in schools can take many forms, including curriculum and instructional bias, discrimination, vandalism, harassment, and even assault. For example, in Los Angeles, a Muslim mother reported that both of her daughters have been called “terrorists” by other students since October 2023. Her elementary-age daughter was targeted on the playground and asked about her support of Israel. When she was unsure how to respond, the other student told her, “Oh, you’re one of them, a terrorist.” In Connecticut, a Jewish student transferred schools after administrators failed to take action when another student regularly taunted him, saying, “We must exterminate all the Jews,” and inviting him to “Camp Auschwitz.”
Incidents like these are often perpetrated against students by their peers, but teachers and school administrators can also be the perpetrators. In California, a complaint alleges a teacher directed second graders to write “Stop Bombing Babies” on sticky notes, which were then placed on the door of the school’s only Jewish teacher. In this instance, the Jewish teacher is being blamed for the actions of the state of Israel, which is antisemitic. (It is important to note, however, that criticizing a country’s government is not inherently antisemitic or Islamophobic.) These examples show how identity-based hate and bias can manifest in classrooms and education settings.
Even educators with the best of intentions may be motivated by bias and create uncomfortable or discriminatory situations for their students. This could include putting students on the spot to share their feelings about world events, condemn violence or defend their faith. It may include using popular catch phrases and rhetoric to discuss complex world events, which can distort the truth and cause harm toward one community or another. It may also include scheduling important exams on religious holidays, especially those that involve fasting.
When educators perpetuate or allow bias – in their lessons, classroom environments, or behavior toward students or communities – students and families may feel unsafe and unsupported in schools, which affects learning and well-being. For example, following a series of pervasive antisemitic incidents in one school district after October 7, at least 30 Jewish families transferred their students to other schools. This poses a tremendous burden to those families and to the Jewish students who must adjust to a new school because school administrators could not maintain a safe environment for them. It also deprives the remaining students of the opportunity to form interfaith friendships and learn about other cultures.
Media coverage of world events and conflicts, especially on social media, is often filled with polarizing perspectives that can promote prejudice and hate. Schools, therefore, should be an essential anti-bias learning space. While we may hope that our schools function as safe havens that shelter students from the violence of the outside world, the effects of global events reverberate in our schools just as they do throughout society. Young people experience the same pain, anger and fear surrounding violence and wars as adults do, but they are still developing the cognitive and social emotional skills needed to understand these events. That’s why we must all support young people in times of conflict. Educators, parents and caregivers have a responsibility to ensure all young people have the right to an education free from hate and bigotry in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Reflection and Action
How can understanding antisemitism and Islamophobia help us to recognize and address these forms of hate in education spaces and in our communities?
1. Reflect on the explanations of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
- Think about situations in which you encountered anti-Jewish codes, tropes and assumptions? Did you recognize these instances as examples of antisemitism? Why or why not? How did you feel in those situations, and how did you react (or not react)? Would you do anything differently now?
- Consider situations in which you have encountered anti-Muslim bias? Did you recognize these instances as examples of Islamophobia? Why or why not? How did you feel in those situations, and how did you react (or not react)? Would you do anything differently now?
- How might evaluating the instances of antisemitism and Islamophobia you have encountered based on the categories institutionalized, ideological, interpersonal, internalized or intersectional help in determining how to address hate and bias in those specific situations?
2. School administrators should create a response plan for hate incidents.
LFJ’s Responding to Hate and Bias at School offers guidance for creating a plan for responding to hate incidents, and other relevant strategies for responding to crises in schools. This guide provides administrators and educators with resources to address the following questions:
- Before a Crisis Occurs: How can you and other school leaders assess your school’s culture with an eye toward defusing tension, preventing escalation and avoiding problems?
- When There’s a Crisis: What are the key points to consider when responding to a crisis that has been triggered by a bias incident at your school?
- After the Worst Is Over: How can you address long-term planning and capacity-building for the future, including development of social emotional skills?