Hate crimes differ from other crimes because they aim to
intimidate and separate minority groups. For this reason,
communities should react to hate crimes in a way that ensures
relations between people in the crime’s aftermath are
strengthened, not hurt.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, Muslim Americans have been targeted by
racists who use the tragedy as an excuse to inflict pain on a
community they do not understand or appreciate. UCLA has been
relatively free from major hate crimes, but that should not lead us
to complacency in contextualizing this recent hate crime into our
own lives.
Last week, a Muslim prayer rug was apparently desecrated with
pig blood at the UCLA Medical Center’s interfaith chapel. The
UCLA community responded by strongly condemning the attack and
voicing support for the Muslim community. The diversity of the
groups who have offered support is especially positive: The
Progressive Jewish Alliance, the South Asian Network, and the L.A.
Gay and Lesbian Center all responded to the crime.
Hate crimes are terrible events capable of dramatically
impacting individuals and groups. When they do occur, people should
reflect upon community problems and personal feelings. Individuals
in diverse societies often belong to groups that disagree on
social, political or religious issues. These individuals are not
perfect ““ sometimes people engage in discrimination without
even realizing what they are doing. But hate crimes remind us
violence and intolerance are never a proper response to perceived
differences. In a diverse society, standards of decency and
sensitivity must be heightened.
Hate crimes are the lowest of all forms of expression.
Thankfully they are not common at UCLA. But, there are other types
of discrimination that are more prevalent. People who offhandedly
use derogatory language or joke with their friends about different
people and cultures should realize these seemingly minor acts
create a negative atmosphere that feeds off of itself. Once one
form of discrimination is accepted, it becomes increasingly
difficult to prevent other, more heinous forms.
Fine lines exist between disagreement, discrimination and hate
crime, but it is the duty of each member of society to understand
the differences: There can be no excuse for hate crimes. Any
supposed “reasons” for hate crimes cannot possibly
justify the violence of that hate. Once people stop talking and
start being violent, progress and understanding becomes
impossible.
In any diverse environment, it is crucial that people keep lines
of communication open. The victims of hate crimes and
discrimination should not lose hope or assume they are alone in
their plight. It is important that they reach out and accept the
support of those who would offer it. Then, those who would
discriminate and hate will find themselves a completely defeated,
tiny and ever-dwindling, disrespected minority.
The UCLA campus must not be a place where people are compelled
to take sides or participate in discriminatory events. Debate and
disagreement is healthy, but UCLA must be a place free of all
discrimination or intimidation. All members of the UCLA community
should be free and feel they are part of one body with different
parts.
Salam al Maayati, the executive director of the Muslims Public
Affairs Council, spoke well when he said, “When you target
one of us, you target all of us.”