Friends,
Take a trip back with me to 2018. The discriminatory Muslim ban was in full effect – unfairly blocking hundreds of thousands of innocent people from entering the United States, solely because of their faith and ethnic identities. Anti-Muslim lawmakers, empowered by a rise in Christian nationalism, churned out Islamophobic rhetoric and policies with reckless abandon. And hate crimes against Muslims were rising at an alarming rate.
2018 is also the year I established the Center for Security, Race, and Rights (CSRR). It is the first academic center at a U.S. law school with the specific mission to research, educate, and advocate for the civil and human rights of South Asians, Muslims, and Arabs. From our founding, we aimed to combat the deluge of racist stereotypes and misinformation about Muslims and Arabs threatening the civil rights of millions of Americans.
Fast forward to today, and CSRR remains the only such center – even as our work has become more urgent. The U.S.-funded war on Gaza triggered a new assault on free speech rights and political freedoms – the likes of which our nation has not seen since the dark era of McCarthyism. University students exercising their constitutional rights quickly became targets of repression by their universities and hateful attacks by external anti-Muslim organizations.
Simultaneously, Islamophobia remains rampant in U.S. politics and is spreading throughout Europe.
These attacks on our fundamental rights threaten the foundation of our democracy. But I firmly believe we can create a better tomorrow.
I have seen it through the impact of the Center. I am inspired by our expert speakers, who attract thousands of listeners eager to learn more about the experiences of Muslims and Arabs here and abroad. I have witnessed academics, activists, students, policymakers, and others use our reports to push for change. And I have watched our educational tools and critical perspectives fundamentally change how students, reporters, and scholars think about marginalized communities.
There’s no question: We’re growing a movement. We’re fighting for equality.
Unfortunately, history has taught us that when there is an effort to support systematically mistreated populations, opposition by the powerful is inevitable. The Center’s work is no exception. There are well-funded special interest groups fighting tooth and nail for us to quit. They do not want Muslim, Arab, and South Asian communities to be accurately represented in the media, universities, and public discourse. They refuse to acknowledge that the U.S. Constitution applies as equally to these diverse communities as to all other Americans.
I have bad news for our detractors: We’re just getting started. We’re gearing up for even more projects to defend human rights, combat Islamophobia, and give a voice to the historically marginalized. We are defending American democracy by practicing the fundamental values we are all taught in school: free speech, equality, and dignity.
To those who have supported CSRR, thank you. We’re looking forward to our continued work together. To those who join us, welcome. We’re excited to create change with you.
All the best,
Sahar Aziz
Distinguished Professor and Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar
Rutgers University Law School
To read CSRR Executive Report, click here.
