The Islamophobia Working Group records (266.4 MB and 1 archived websites) contains progress reports, email correspondence, meeting agendas and minutes, photographs, student outreach resources, project files, and an archived website. The materials are organized into two series, the Islamophobia Working Group records series and the Islamophobia Working Group website series.
The Islamophobia Working Group (IWG) formed in January 2016 to examine how Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism in the United States affects the campus climate at the University of Michigan. Rising anti-Muslim sentiment in the United States and across the world has led to increased harassment and bias against Muslims and those perceived as Muslim including Sikhs and individuals of Middle Eastern/North African descent. The Arab and Muslim Studies Program (AMAS) in the Department of American Culture originally sponsored the Islamophobia Working Group, which is comprised of faculty, staff, and student volunteers. The IWG works with the University of Michigan's strategic plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to identify ways to create an inclusive campus for all community members impacted by Islamophobia.
One of the IWG's key initiatives is establishing reflection rooms to provide space for Muslim students to pray on campus. The IWG created a guide for campus buildings about how to create reflection rooms that are safe, secure and meet the religious needs of Muslim students. Since January 2016, new reflection rooms have opened on Central and North campus including Haven Hall, North Quad, and the Electrical Engineering Computer Science Building.
Another major project is creating a racial category for Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) on University documents such as undergraduate applications and faculty and staff job applications. Currently, individuals of MENA descent are categorized as "White" on these materials. The IWG argued adding this category would provide MENA respondents an option that better reflects their personal identity and experiences. It would also allow the University to gather better data about the MENA population on campus, allowing the community to better advocate for its needs. The initiative has garnered wide support across the University of Michigan. In February 2017, the Central Student Government (CSG) passed a resolution advocating for adding a MENA category to University documents, which was approved by 15 other student governments across campus. Over 700 faculty and staff across the Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn campuses of the University of Michigan have signed a petition letter supporting the cause. Members of the IWG have met with campus leaders, including President Mark Schlissel, about moving forward with adding the MENA designation to University materials.
The IWG has also lobbied for the University to stop using the al-Kittab textbook for Arab language instruction. They argue the text prioritizes teaching political and military vocabulary that promotes stereotypes about Arab culture. The IWG has taken a number of steps to raise awareness about its concerns with the al-Kittab. In September 2017, the IWG formed the al-Kittab Exploratory Committee with leaders from the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS) and the Near Eastern Studies Department. In November 2017, two student members of the IWG attended the Middle East Studies Association conference in Washington D.C. and presented at a workshop and poster session.
The IWG has sponsored lectures and events to raise awareness of Islamophobia and has organized self-defense classes for community members concerned about their safety. In 2017, the group hosted Muslim Diag Day, an event intended to facilitate conversations between Muslim and non-Muslim students in the hopes of dispelling stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam. In the 2018-2019 school year, the IWG became co-led by the Arab and Muslim Studies Program and the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies. The Islamophobia Working Group continues to identify and address issues of Islamophobia affecting the University of Michigan community.
