We
need your suggestions/additions:
saja@columbia.edu / 212-854-5979
As
the focus of the coverage and the investigation
shifts toward South Asia, the South Asian community
in the U.S. is receiving attention in ways it never
has before. Anger about the attacks is causing SOME
Americans to lash out at Muslims, Arabs, Sikhs and
South Asians in general.
Reports
of hatemail, physical threats and harassment, racial
profiling by government officials are coming in
from various cities. It is crucial that we not add
to the confusion by spreading unconfirmed reports.
We are doing our best to get as many facts as possible.
Please be patient as we sort through all this and
DO NOT PANIC. PLEASE DO NOT SPREAD UNSUBSTANTIATED
E-MAIL MESSAGES.
While
the press has done a good job of covering the dangers
posed to Arab Americans and Arabs living in the
United States by media stereotyping, there still
is not enough awareness of the fact that South Asians
are being lumped together with Arabs by the media
and the general public.
The
situation is compunded by the fact that Afghanistan
has close ties to South Asia (defined by SAJA as
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan
and Maldives) and that many South Asians "look
like" Afghans. Afghans are not Arabs,
and -- at the same time -- in many of their Islamic
practices and beliefs, are distinct from South Asians,
including the 400 million Muslims in South Asia
and the South Asian diaspora.
Of
course, SAJA is against the harassment or profiling
of ANY community. We are providing this information
only to promote more accurate reporting.
Keep
in mind that the South Asian community (about 2
million in the United States -- Muslims, Sikhs,
Hindus, Christians, Parsis, Jews, Buddhists, Jains)
has been affected in many different ways. For example,
scores of South Asians are among the dead/missing/injured
at the World Trade Center. South Asian police officers,
doctors and nurses are part of the rescue and treatment
personnel working around the clock in New York City.
South Asian communities across the country are raising
relief funds, conducting prayer meetings, etc.
The
best source for information about bias crimes is
Sin Yen Ling of the Asian American Legal Defense
& Education Fund
E-mail: sling@aaldef.org
212-760-9110
She is documenting bias crimes against South Asians
and providing legal assistance as required.
We
also have contact information for several South
Asians whose relatives have been killed at the WTC.
We also have South Asians who have been the subjects
of racial profiling and harassment. Journalists
who make a request to
saja@columbia.edu will receive the coordinates
(with permission).
Please
contact SAJA if you need further information:
South Asian Journalists Association
E-mail: saja@columbia.edu
212-854-5979
646-391-3526
http://www.saja.org
See
SAJA Suggested Sources List
http://www.saja.org/tipssources.html
See
SAJA Stylebook for Covering South Asia & South
Asian Diaspora
http://www.saja.org/stylebook
Detroit
Free Press -- 100 Questions & Answers about
Arab Americans
http://www.freep.com/jobspage/arabs.htm
Asian
American Journalists Association media advisory
on Arab Americans
http://aaja.org/html/news_html/media_watch/media_watch_010912.html
Poynter
Tips on Covering the Terrorist Attacks
http://www.poynter.org
