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Campaign to Take on Hate gains support in E.L.

August 14, 2015
<p>Mayor Nathan Triplett and Rashida Tlaib present a resolution agreeing to support the campaign to Take on Hate inside East Lansing City Hall on August 4, 2015. The campaign is committed to eliminating hate and discrimination and protect all families of citizens of East Lansing not matter religion and ethnicity. Joshua Abraham/The State News</p>

Mayor Nathan Triplett and Rashida Tlaib present a resolution agreeing to support the campaign to Take on Hate inside East Lansing City Hall on August 4, 2015. The campaign is committed to eliminating hate and discrimination and protect all families of citizens of East Lansing not matter religion and ethnicity. Joshua Abraham/The State News

Photo by Joshua Abraham | The State News

"It's okay Mom, don't worry. If anyone asks if I am Muslim I will lie and tell them I am not," said 9-year-old Adam Tlaib to his mother one night after overhearing a conversation about a racist cartoon between his mother and father.

This was when Rashida Tlaib, Adam's mother and a former state representative for the state of Michigan, knew she had to take action. 

Tlaib is now the campaign manager of The Campaign to Take on Hate. The campaign was launched in 2014 and is purposed to challenge the growing misconceptions and discrimination against Arab and Muslim Americans in the U.S. It is built to take on hate against all people according to the it's website and opposes all forms of hate and bigotry. The campaign recently gained support from the city officials. 

At the August 4 city council meeting, the city of East Lansing signed a resolution adopting and supporting the campaign. 

The resolution states that the city supports the campaign and is committed to eliminating hate and discrimination and agrees to protect all families and citizens of East Lansing no matter religion or ethnicity. 

"Members of council and the city decided to take on hate and to sent a clear message that any sort of crime or targeting of someone because their faith and ethnicity is wrong and it that won't be tolerated in East Lansing," Tlaib said about the resolution. 

Members of the Islamic Society of Greater Lansing joined Tlaib during the presentation of the resolution. Also present to show their support were members of the Edgewood United Church. 

"The important first step was what we did tonight, which was endorsing the campaign and really making it clear that East Lansing is a community that values inclusion, celebrates diversity and is willing to stand up when hateful behavior happens," said Mayor Nathan Triplett about the resolution.

Thasin Sardar, an outreach coordinator for the Islamic Society of Greater Lansing and a resident of East Lansing for 20 years, said the adoption of the resolution speaks volumes about the principal stands the city takes to ensure all citizens are welcome. Sardar also noted the American values this resolution protects. 

"The American values are to not harm other people just because of how they look, the way they speak or whatever religion they are," Sardar said. 

Batoul Sadek, a Lyman Briggs junior and member of the MSU Muslim Student Association, said that her expierence as a Muslim student has been a positive so far in East Lansing. Sadek said that she has not heard any derogatory comments regarding her religion, but feels a lot of students and residents of East Lansing are curious and that sometimes she gets looks because she does wear a hijab. 

There are a few changes Sadek hopes come with the campaign, which has a presence in Chicago and New York among other cities, not only in East Lansing, but across the country. 

Sadek said she hopes the campaign brings a better understanding of the Islam faith to the general public due to the fact that she had to explain her religion to her roommate, suite-mates and people that lived in her hall during her first few days on campus. 

"It kind of makes it hard to be a Muslim on campus, but I want people to know that we are not angry with anyone. We are just like everybody else," Sadek said. "We are just another college student and I am just another 19-year-old girl. There are so many similarities between the different religions and I would like people to know that." 

Tlaib said the campaign is becoming more important as it becomes common and in some cases even encouraged to say things that are anti-Muslim or Arab. 

It is time to speak up and that if interested there are always events and activities that people can get involved with through the campaign's website and social media sites according to Tlaib. 

The next event the campaign is putting on is taking on hate with action.

"Let’s build on our common values, appreciate each other’s diversity and use our energies positively to foster love and growth in the community," Sardar said.

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