news from the frontlines: defeating anti-muslim and anti-immigrant movements

News from the Frontlines:

Defeating Anti-Muslim& Anti-Immigrant

MovementsReligious Communicators Council

2017 Convention | Chicago

Who Are We?

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Today’s objectives: Understand that ...➢ Muslims are a diverse community deeply

engaged in community life in all 50 states➢ A well-coordinated, multi-million dollar

movement has driven anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim environment

➢ There are no magic solutions, but there are examples and studies we can learn from and build upon

➢ Amplifying Muslim voices to tell their own alternative (and true) stories is critical

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Muslims are a faith group...and more➢ There is no one way to express Muslim identity: Our

community encompasses a broad range of personal beliefs and practices.

➢ American Muslims are, on average, much younger than other religious identity groups: About 36% of us are under 35.

➢ Muslims in the United States are racially diverse: We are the only religious identity group with no majority race.

➢ There has never been an America without Muslims.Sources: Pew Research and Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

Group Talk:Identity & Difference

➢Think of all (write down a few) of the ways you identify yourself

➢What kinds of tension have you seen in your work or in your community based on difference?

➢Is there an event or incident that triggered your understanding of how racial and/or religious identity plays a role in your own life? In your work? In the community? 6

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Trafficking in the Mainstream

Anti-Muslim & Anti-Immigrant Movements

Who leads anti-

immigrant and anti-Muslim

movements?

Who leads anti-

immigrant and anti-Muslim

movements?

What is Islamophobia?

“Not just an individual bias but a systemic body of ideas which make certain constructions of Muslims … appear natural.”

- Deepa Kumar, author of Islamophobia and the

Politics of Empire

67%Increase of anti-Muslim hate crimes between 2014-2015, according to

latest FBI data

2008 | 2012 | 2016

“2008 and 2012 - the years of election campaigns - saw spikes in Islamophobia that had nothing to do with terror. And we are now seeing

similar trends in this election cycle.”

— Meira Neggaz, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

Kris Kobach shows us his papers

Policy impacts under current (and former) administrationTrump Administration Policies

➢ Muslim Registry (NSEERS)

➢ “Extreme Vetting” of immigrants (especially Muslim immigrants)

➢ Moratorium on admission and resettlement of Syrian refugees

Rhetoric and ripple effect

➢ Trump did away with coded language (“Islam is peace” → “Islam hates us”)

➢ Anti-Muslim state lawmakers and activists emboldened

Obama Administration Policies➢ Surveillance

➢ Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programs

➢ Securitized border & mass deportations

➢ Militarization of police

Rhetoric and ripple effect

➢ Obama narrative softened the blow/clouded effects of harmful policies

➢ But at least there was a boundary!

Group Talk:Reactions

➢What are your initial reactions? What was surprising, new or noteworthy?

➢Why do these movements cross-pollinate on issues?

➢Who benefits from these forms of explicit and implicit discrimination?

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Challenges:Attitudes Towards Muslims in America

19ReThink Media 19

The fear is real for many Americans

❖ “Unfortunately, as with any group, there are always extremists – and it is those people who give the Islamic religion a bad name by these people associating themselves as Muslim & saying they are acting for Allah. I realize so much in this world is scary, but I don't know if I can say it's justified.” [QualBoard respondent]

❖ “I understand the fear. I fear the radical Muslims – they have horrible ideas and are doing terrible things by killing innocent people. I'm sure they are afraid that more attacks will occur. I don't know if its justified or not – I think that not all Muslims are like the radical Muslims we see on the news – but I don't know how many are that way. It's difficult because we don't know who is a radical and who is not. So we don't know who we need to worry about.” [QualBoard respondent]

It stems from a fear of the unknown and applying broad, negative stereotypes.

© Anzalone Liszt Grove Research

20ReThink Media

This is because a good majority of Americans have absorbed the fear-based messaging.

20© Anzalone Liszt Grove Research

“Even though most Muslims in America are not terrorists, the fact is that most terrorist attacks in America are committed by Muslims”

Base: 32 Agree / 62 DisagreePersuadable: 68 / 28Opposition: 79 / 17

21ReThink Media

Because fear is so real, playing the “safety” card meets with consensus even when singling out Muslims, and remains the oppositions’ strongest message: “better safe than sorry.”

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Our most important concern must be people’s safety, even

if that means all people immigrating to this country

must undergo additional scrutiny

Our most important concern must be people’s safety, even

if that means Muslims immigrating to this country

must undergo additional scrutiny

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22ReThink Media 22

However, politically-charged rhetoric is also rejected by most.

REJECTION OF THE LANGUAGE...

• “Everything that is written here is despicable. It is nothing but hate and fear. I truly believe that these people are saying what they think the American people want to hear just to get elected.”

• “I think some of these statements are outrageous and irresponsible for a leader to be saying. Our leaders need to think before they speak.”

...BUT NOT ALWAYS THE POLICY.

• ”It doesn't matter where it is...a temple, a mosque...what have you... if there are radicals plotting some sort of terrorism... get in there & nail them. Keep us safe!”

• “If there is a place that is KNOWN to be a place of concern, monitor it, sanction it, close it down; but not just randomly close all mosques and diners because they are attended by Muslims.”

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What Works:Effective Messaging to Counter Anti-Muslim Bigotry

24ReThink Media 24

25ReThink Media

We should then pivot to shared values – love of country, freedom of religion, freedom to live without fear and the belief that we are stronger together, united we stand.

We are stronger

when we come together as Americans and weaker when we let fear and lack

of understanding come between us. America is rooted in our ability to

come together. United we stand, divided we fall.

Our country was founded on the principles of freedom of religion, a tradition and ideal that forms the foundation

of our country. We do not tell people how to pray,

and we do not ban people based on their

religion.

UNITED WE STANDFREEDOM OF RELIGION BASE UNITY

No one should fear for their safety because of the color of their skin, what

language they speak or how they pray. Hate must not beget hate,

violence must not beget violence. We need more

love, and less fear.

Overall

48%Base

48%Persuadable

51%Opposition

46%

Top Choice Message:

© Anzalone Liszt Grove Research

26ReThink Media 26

While the “Target Terrorists” message is not strong on its own, reassuring about safety and refocusing to the real threat is important.

TARGET TERRORISTS

We should address terrorist acts based on

evidence, not single out an entire group of

people based on their faith. Not only is that

the right thing to do, it is more effective at keeping us safe.

Important ADD-ON message to increase its

reach of the other messages

Overall

60%Base

59%Persuadable

65%Opposition

59%

+12

+11

+14

+13

Top 1 Message:

© Anzalone Liszt Grove Research

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✓ We do not tell people how to pray and we do not ban people based on their religion.

✓No one should fear for their safety because of the color

of their skin, what language they speak or how they pray.

✓We are weaker as a country when we let fear and lack of understanding come between us.

✓We should not single out an entire group of people based on their faith.

Embedded in our language: strong, seizing the moral high groundWhile not overt, some of our best-testing language seizes the moral high ground in a muscular way, leaving the implication that our foes are on the wrong side:

© Anzalone Liszt Grove Research

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Why getting to know Muslims is so important

© Anzalone Liszt Grove Research

View of Muslim Americans based on respondents’ familiarity with Muslims

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Diminish the distance by calling upon agreed-upon beliefs. The goal is to create a bridge of understanding, common ground, starting with widely held views.Invoke shared, American, aspirational values. Use these to call for better treatment, what we want our world to be.Reassure the fearful by creating distance from radicals and terrorists with a strong pushback message in combination with our positive aspirational messages.

Summary: Three steps critical to increasing affinity for Islam and Muslims in America:

3.

2.

1.

© Anzalone Liszt Grove Research

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Case StudiesCounternarratives and Alternative

Narratives

Disruptingarmed

protestsat mosques

Research | Interfaith collaboration Safety and

security | Messaging Media outreach | Civic engagement

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Amplifying Voices of Muslim Women

Social media | Media outreach

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#CanYouHearUsNow?

Raising awareness:Safety for

whom?Research | Safety and

security | Media outreach | Coalition building

Grassroots campaign

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Jeff SessionsConfirmation

HearingsResearch | Messaging

Media Outreach | Coalition building

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Respondingto anti-Black racism with

images of loveSocial Media

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#BlackMuslimFamily

Reclaiming religious freedom

Interfaith collaboration | Research Legislative

educationCoalition building | Media

outreachSign-on Pledge

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Holding lawmakers

accountableSocial media | Online petition

Legislative outreach | Awareness

Direct Action

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“Are we going to be OK? I don’t know. But I’m going to keep fighting as long as I can.”

Namira Islam, director of Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative

paraphrasing Mariame Kaba

Discussion:What next?

➢How have these issues affected your work?

➢What are some concrete steps we can take in our own work (and in our workplaces) to challenge discrimination?

➢What are some things we still need or need to know to be effective?

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Thank you41

Overview➢ Context➢ Group talks: Identity & Difference➢ Trafficking in the Mainstream➢ Group talks: Reactions➢ Messaging guidance➢ Case studies➢ Discussion: What now?

Areas for stickies➢ Agenda➢ Goals➢ Group talk 1: Identity and difference (Pink)➢ Group talk 2: Who benefits from discrimination?

(Orange)➢ Discussion: Concrete steps (Blue); what else do we

need? (Green)➢ Parking lot➢ ResourcesSign-in sheets