By Ashley A. Smith. EdSource.
With tensions still high on college campuses over the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East, California State University officials are offering resources and engaging with more students to ease the climate on campus.
“The CSU condemns in the strongest terms terrorism, including the horrific acts committed by Hamas on October 7,” Cal State Chancellor Mildred Garcia said during a trustees meeting Tuesday of last week.
“They are hate and senseless acts of violence, and they are antithetical to our core values. "The loss of innocent lives in Israel and the Gaza Strip is heartbreaking, and our deepest and heartwarming condolences are with all those affected by this horrible tragedy."
The chancellor's office also delivered a report Wednesday to the CSU board of directors highlighting hate crimes and incidents that took place last year, while emphasizing the work it was doing to confront bias and extremism across the system. largest public university in the country.
The report gave trustees an opportunity to learn what campuses and the chancellor's office are doing now to address campus conflicts, demonstrations and incidents related to the Middle East conflict.
The number of reported hate incidents within the Cal State system is relatively low across the 23 campuses with more than 460,000 students and 56,000 faculty and staff. However, there was a slight increase in incidents from 2021 to 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the most recent data available, 13 hate crimes and six acts of hate-related violence were committed across the CSU system. The figures reflect that last year six more incidents of hate and violence were committed than the previous year.
Melinda Latas, CSU director in charge of campus safety compliance and outreach for the university system, said hate violence includes incidents such as destruction of property and verbal threats of force, or physical violence against a person or group of people. , which does not meet the definition of a hate crime under California law.
The most common type of incident was physical assault, followed by intimidation and other threats of physical harm, Latas said, adding that prejudice was most commonly based on sexual orientation, followed by race and ethnicity.
The increase over 2021 is also likely due to fewer incidents being reported on campuses during 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Latas said, adding that by 2023, most campuses so far have not seen an increase in hate incidents.
Latas said CSU campuses want to be an example and leader for other universities on how to handle heightened tensions over religious, racial and other political issues. The chancellor's office said campus leaders have offered support to Jewish students and Hillel houses, as well as Palestinian and Muslim student groups. Counseling services are available, and campuses encourage people to report incidents of bias or discrimination.
A preliminary review of hate crimes on the San Jose State campus since Jan. 1 reveals that only two incidents have been reported. Following Hamas's attack on Israel in early October, the campus also hosted two peaceful protests and rallies, each with divergent views, said Cynthia Teniente-Matson, SJSU president.
“Some found (the protests) controversial and had the potential to lead to disruptive hate-based activities,” he said. “The campus took precautionary measures.”
Those steps included working with local authorities and activating plans for public safety threats.
“Fortunately, we didn't have to turn to them,” Lieutenant-Matson said, adding that she has been constantly interacting with students, faculty, staff and community leaders since the conflict in the Middle East reignited.
He said that the nature of the incidents reported on the South Bay Area campus since Oct. 7 have been “primarily fears and concerns about personal safety, which I and other members of my cabinet have taken seriously and responded to with prudence". The University Police Department increased the number of officers and patrols on campus and investigated reports of suspicious circumstances.
According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, violence against people of different faiths has increased nationally. A 2023 report from the center found that reports of hate crimes against religion increased 27 percent in major American cities in 2022, with 470 religious hate crimes against Jews and 50 against Muslims.
The report explains that anti-Semitism has increased nationally in recent years due to the spread of conspiracism, religious nationalism and anti-government sentiment.
“There is widespread concern that these numbers could increase dramatically with the response we are seeing to events in the Middle East right now,” said Rafik Mohamed, chancellor of CSUSB, adding that African Americans continue to be the target group for crimes. of hate more frequently.
Hate crimes against Asian Americans have also increased since the start of the pandemic, he said.
“These are not just individual acts of hate, but fundamental attacks on our democracy,” Mohamed said. “Religion-oriented attacks are worryingly increasing, as are attacks based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the CaliFornia State Library.
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