In the months leading up to and during the war in Iraq, there was a corresponding rise in the prejudice, discrimination and harassment faced by students of Middle Eastern or Muslim descent, not only from fellow students, but often from teachers and administrators as well. During prior periods, such as the last Gulf War or after September 11th, Muslim and Arab students experienced a dramatic rise in racial or religious harassment that sometimes developed into physical altercations. This harassment occurred on school grounds especially in such places as the hallways, bathrooms and cafeterias. Girls who wear the hijab (religiously mandated attire that includes covering the hair), and even Sikh boys, although they adhere to a different faith, are often most impacted by such events and their life can become unbearable if there is no intervention. Moreover, students are often hesitant to share these experiences with their peers, teachers, or even parents, out of fear or humiliation.

During this crisis, which is still making daily headlines, we hope to preempt such potential problems by providing a few suggestions that will hopefully help deter and curtail negative behavior that not only affects the students it targets, but the spirit and cohesiveness of the entire school. Please feel free to download these documents.

Note to Arab & Muslim American parents or guardians: Please feel free to provide this information to your children's school staff.

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• Administration Tips on School Policies
• Fact Sheet: A list of student experiences during the Gulf war
• Tip #1: Tips on how to deal with your own feelings about current events
• Tip #2: Tips on understanding students of Middle Eastern & Muslim background
• Tip #3: Tips on discussing current events in the classroom
• National Association of School Psychologists: http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/tolerance_general.html