Confronting Anti-Arab or Anti-Muslim Sentiments

When confronting anti-Arab or anti-Muslim sentiments, do so calmly and politely. An angry shouting match will not lead to deeper understanding. Instead, consider asking the person some probing questions about their words or actions. Chances are that they are acting out of fear and anger, not "genuine" racism or hatred for Arab or Muslim people. The goal is to have them realize this, and help them find more productive outlets for their frustration. Allowing them to "talk themselves out of their hate" is likely to be more productive them lecturing them on why they are wrong.

Helpful statements/questions might include:

• I heard that comment you just made about xxxxxx. Don't you think that's what Bin Laden and the terrorists want? To pit us against each other?
  
  
• From all I've heard, the terrorists are extremist maniacs who don't represent Islam at all. Most Arabs or Muslims in this country don't like him any more than you do. Why blame them?
  
  
• Our diversity and tolerance for each other's beliefs is one of the things that terrorists hate about the United States. It's one of our greatest strengths. Wouldn't it be better to stand united?
  
  
• Bin Laden and his followers do not represent Islam or the Arab world any more than the KKK represents Christianity; or any more than Timothy McVeigh represents the United States. I'm concerned that blaming all Arabs or Muslims for the attack is just punishing innocent people, and that it divides rather than unites us. Don't you think it'd be better to show how united we are?
  
  
• The last time we blamed a "race" for something, namely Pearl Harbor, thousands of innocent Japanese-Americans were imprisoned. Is that really what we want to happen again?
  
  

For a September 18, 2001 Washington Post article "Bin Laden's Radical Form of Islam: Most Muslims' Interpretations of the Koran Don't Condone Terrorist Violence"

"The suspects in last week's attacks in New York and Washington are Muslims who adhered to a version of Islam that sanctions terrorist violence, but it is an interpretation of Islam that is rejected by most other Muslims around the world…