Recently, the community of Saint Xavier was made aware of a campaign called, “Punish a Muslim Day.” The campaign was meant to take place on April 3, 2018.
According to the Clarion Project’s website, clarionproject.org, letters had first been distributed to British Muslim leaders a month ago. The letters – and the campaign – soon spread to the United States.
The letters had things written like, “THEY have hurt you. THEY have made your loved ones suffer…” before calling for citizens to attack members of the Islamic faith; depending on what action citizens took, they were awarded “points.”
“The leaflet awarded 50 points for verbally abusing a Muslim, 100 points for beating up a Muslim and 500 points for killing a Muslim,” the Clarion Project explains.
The campaign garnered the attention of law enforcement and officials in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Snopes.com wrote, “The National Police Chiefs’ Association issued a statement on 29 March, assuring the public that the threats were being taken seriously and measures were underway to protect potential victims.”
Protection for potential victims meant law enforcement in both regions to tighten security and have backup plans in case anything did happen.
The Leicester Mercury, a British regional newspaper, reported that “Chief Constable Simon Cole… said: “We have operational plans in place should anything happen on what will hopefully be an ordinary day.”
In the US, the New York Daily News reported, “Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams joined faith leaders and other officials Monday to announce increased security around the city….” to face the anti-Muslim campaign.
Here at home, Saint Xavier’s President, Dr. Laurie M. Joyner, released a statement the day before the project was supposed to take place.
Joyner’s statement made it clear that while there were no specific threats made on campus, the University did not support the campaign as it goes against the core values of the institution.
“The Saint Xavier University core values of respect, excellence, compassion, service, hospitality, integrity, diversity and learning for life call us to support everyone in our community regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status or country of origin,” Joyner’s statement said. “Violence or threats of violence will not be tolerated and have no place on this campus.”
Students on campus were shocked to hear of the campaign.
Phillip Robinson, a student here at SXU, said, “Is this even real?! That’s very destructive! America has set a standard for itself for racism, socio-political views, economic views.”
“We have these structures set up, and for this – this campaign especially – if you’re going to take something from another culture like this, why would you take the negatives? That’s something already rooted in the American soil, that’s racism.”
Olivia Collison spoke on the statement sent out by President Joyner.
“I think she did the right thing,” Collison said. “I had no idea about this until she sent out the email. I didn’t know about the campaign. So I was glad she sent it out so I did know and could see that there were people out there who wanted to do this.”
However, students were also interested in the countermovement, “Love a Muslim Day.” The ‘Love a Muslim” day was structured the same way as the “Punish a Muslim Day;” still structured as a points-based system, people were encouraged to do different acts of kindness for members of the Islamic faith.
“I can only relate this to Black Lives Matter and being Black in America, because that’s what I am,” Robinson continued. But…instead of targeting certain demographics and things like that…it’s very disappointing the way this is set up.”
“Black people have made history every single day of the year,” Robisnson said, “but they only get celebrated for one month. Similarly, Muslim people deserve love just like everybody else, why is it just one day that we’re going to be kind to a Muslim person?”
Robinson added, “It’s absolutely ridiculous. In a way, it embellishes the creation of this nation. We all know how this nation was started, and some people sit in privilege and not having to understand the ramifications of the damage done.”
“And now you talk about moving forward and being great but you’re only being great to those who fit the standards of the what originally did the horrible stuff.”
SXU discussed the campaign in their weekly SXU Speaks Seminar led by Jaraed Thomas, the Coordinator for Student Inclusion.
“With Punish a Muslim Day, it connects to the larger world, and it served as a reminder to us that SXU is a microcosm on a larger scale. SXU Speaks was a good way for those who didn’t know to now know,” Thomas said.
“Sometimes I think because of the diversity [on campus] we’re just walking around, doing our thing, and that’s okay! But one thing I mentioned today was that we have to be very purposeful in how we do diversity.”
Thomas continued, “If we are purposeful, we know there is a goal we are trying to reach. In doing this inclusion work, I want to see diversity inclusion from the eyes of a student.”
“You are all on the ground experiencing things that maybe I am not experiencing because I am a staff member.”
“It was great that so many people came out, so many people had opinions and discussions.”
“I wanted a place and a space for people to feel free to express themselves, to ask questions, to come together as a community.”
“We know through our mission that we don’t allow hate speech but it’s [SXU Speaks] a great reminder that in a time of crisis.”
“A lot of the students there who are of the Muslim faith there really appreciated it. They were like, “I’m so happy this is my home away from home and people were gathered here because our people were under attack,’” Thomas added.
Thomas continued, “I think that goes for any minoritized population. Just knowing there is a space to gather, that it’s an ongoing conversation, it’s not only things that happen here at SXU but things that happen globally. I want that to infiltrate what we do and how we advocate and how we see ourselves as advocates in the position of the University and the world.”
SXU Speaks takes place at 12:30 on a weekly basis in the Wiseman Student Lounge. For more information on upcoming SXU Speaks talks, check out theden.sxu.edu.
Cheyanne Daniels
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