Not in Season

This time of year can bring many joys to people, especially those who observe the Christmas holiday. Though for those who do not celebrate Christmas, the holiday season can create a feeling of isolation

By Aala Basheir and Rebecca Michaeli

and Happy Holidays?

The authors, Aala Basheir and Rebecca Michaeli, would like to emphasize that the point of this story is to educate others on the misrepresentation of minority religions. Aala is a part of the “The City High World History teachMuslim community, while Rebecca is a part of the Jewish ers did a really awesome job at teaching us community, and because of this, most of the story focuses more about the different cultures and religions which I truly enjoyed,” Abdelrahman. on their areas of expertise. Dr. Diana Cates, Professor of Religious history of many religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Judiusm, Christianity and Islam. Ethics at the University of Iowa, focuses on religious ethics and moral psychology. “[The goal] is a culture where everybody’s religion is interesting to everybody else, even if they don’t agree with it. [The

Chapter One: A lack of representation of minority religions best atmosphere] is when religion is interesting and [students] want to talk about it and learn. I think, in public schools I would not sanction any overtly religious events,”

As the late weeks of December are approaching, many Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz is also familiar with minority are gearing up for the Holidays. Stores are filled with religions in the education system. Growing up non-Jewish people, houses covered in lights and decorations. in the Netherlands, but after many years of living a Jewish Many holidays take place around this time, includ- lifestyle, she officially converted to Judaism in her mid20’s. ing Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, and Solstice, Hugenholtz went to Rabbinical school, and was ordained as adding to the difficulty of distinguishing each tradition cel- a Rabbi at 35. Being a Jew from Europe, Hugenholtz is able ebrated. to compare the two cultural contexts of Jewish life.

Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the “The first thing is a shift in perspective. A lot of pubUnited States. According to The Guardian, it leads with the lic schools think, ‘oh it’s Christmas time, let’s dig into the most amount of greeting cards sold by 1.6 billion. While calendar and see what other religions are doing’, but that’s many students claim to have participated in school activities problematic, looking to match Hanukkah to a Christmas related to the holiday as young as kindergarten, they have experience.” Hugenholz said. “They should reverse the proalso noticed a lack of representation of other cultures. cess and say, ‘okay, we have all these religions that are equal

“During Ramadan, I would fast in school and people in value to each other, let’s see what their most important would constantly ask me why I wasn’t joining in during festivals are, and learn about them, irrespective of what time lunch,” Bothina Abdelrahman ‘22, a member of the Mus- of the year it is.’” lim community, explained. “[Although] I would explain to Islam celebrates its holidays according the Islamic them that it was because I was celebrating Ramadan, people calander, which is unique because there are no fixed days. would either look at me strangely because they didn’t under- A majority of it relies on moon patterns, a lunar month is stand why I would do that while others would be genuinely shorter than a solar month followed world wide. Ramadan, interested in my religious beliefs.” a month where muslims around the world participate in a

This can often lead to minority religion populations feel- month-long fasting period, moves back ten to eleven days ing the pressure of educating others in hopes of filling the each year. gaps of information. “So much of what we do as religious minorities is re-

“I noticed [the holiday themed activities] growing up. In active. When we are not represented, it just forces us into elementary school, it used to make me feel left out because reactiveness and defensiveness. And if we are represented, it we would do a lot of Christmas and Halloween activities encourages us to be proactive and to embrace our dignity, in class,” Abdelrahman explained. “My family and I don’t and our beauty on our own terms,” Hugenholtz said. celebrate these holidays as Muslims.” Many who are part of a religious minority can often feel

Jeremiah Collins ‘21, a member of the Jewish commu- isolated during the holiday season when their religion goes nity, has also noticed the lack of information regarding the unaddressed in schools. Jewish culture such as emphasis on Hanukkah, one of the “I’m not really offended by my religion [not being talked minor holidays in the religion while Yom Kippur, which about]. I’m more used to it now, but it is kind of isolatholds a lot of religious significance is not as well known ing. It can be overwhelming, especially when you’re youngwithin the education system. er, there’s a feeling of being left out,” Margalit Frank ‘24, a

“I feel like there is a lack of knowledge and understanding member of the Jewish community, said. about Judaism, I don’t know if that’s necessarily something Learning about minority religions and cultures in school that needs to be in schools but knowledge breeds tolerance, can help students feel supported, and decrease religious bigand stigma comes from not knowing things,” Collins said. otry.

Although the transition between elementary school and “It’s equally necessary to learn about other minority middle school offered a more diverse curriculum by increas- groups because [it builds] knowledge and understanding,” ing the lessons taught. Some students did not feel accurately Collins said. “If you don’t understand something, then you represented until high school. Three high schools in the dis- might think it’s weird, you might think it’s scary, but relitrict offer AP World History which goes into detail on the gions, these things are not that crazy.” Cates said.

Chapter Two: The increase first define religion, what it is, and what it means. organized, its behaviors, and if the religion is also part of a culture and ethnicity. of antisemitism and Islamophobia in America “It’s really helpful, if people are up to it, to start with a discussion of what religion is. A lot of people think of religion as some kind “Personally, I think the anthropological and historical approaches [to understanding a religion] are the best. I would like educa-

WI also think of it as a way of living in light of believe’, and then comparing the various hile many minority religions and possibilities that you can’t wrap your mind metaphysical dogmas. To an anthropolocultures are not represented in the around,” Cates said. “There’s this ability to gist, ‘beliefs’ are just one of the things current American climate, espe- see that there’s all sorts of ways of being re- we want to learn about,” Frank Sacially during the holiday season, ligious. I think that’s a good way to start to lomon, an anthropologist and a dangerous trend has been climbing. Reli- think about religion, because almost every- retired professor at the Univergion-based hate crimes are rapidly increasing body can identify with that.” sity of Wiscosin-Madison, in the United States. Cates believes that it is crucial to create a said.

“Antisemitic or Islamophobic things are welcoming and open environment when dis- According to Pew really prominent in classrooms. I’ve heard cussing religious differences, so a productive Research, in the and seen teachers witness them, and not and educational con- United States, know what to do because a majority of teachers aren’t Jewish or Muslim, and don’t understand why “It’s really helpful, if people are up to it, to start with a discussion of what religion is. There’s this ability versation can be had. “You have to be careful, because if you offend people’s sensibilities, they are not Christans represent 70.6% of the 127 something is offensive or what to do when somebody makes an offensive joke,” Frank said. Recorded accounts to see that there’s all sorts of ways of being religious.” DIANA CATES PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS going to listen to you, and they’re just going to withdraw or shut you out. It’s best to try to welcome everybody 93 of religious hate- into the crimes typically include assault, intimidation, conversation,” Cates said.and vandalism, though smaller microaggres- Rather than solely edusions occur daily. According to the United cating about a religion’s States Department of Justice, Religion-based beliefs, some find it hate crimes made up 20% of all hate crimes important to uncommitted in 2019. Many times, expressions of hate are intentional, though often, microderstand its com ponents; such - 2001 2016 aggressions are a reflection of unconscious bias or bigotry. For teens, school is a public setting where microaggressions are common. “People are constantly getting what we as what it does, how it’s Anti-Muslim assults in U.S. reported to the FBI characterize as microaggressions; insults and ways of leaving you out, or diminishing your Data from The Pew Research Center culture because you’re different. Individuals’ own religion might bring them joy and peace, and a sense of freedom and pos- “Knowledge breeds tolerance, and stigma comes from not sibility. But if you are not among the [religiously] dominant, when you knowing things.” get to school, it might just be a JEREMIAH COLLINS constant irritation or insult,” CITY HIGH SENIOR Cates said.

To better under-

of institution, or organized set of beliefs, but tors to stop setting this up as ‘what do they stand how to combat hate speech and crimes based on religion, some find Jews only make up 1.7% of the U.S. population 48% it help ful to but 60.2% of religious hate crimes were targeted at Jews in 2019 of Muslim Americans answered yes to the question, “have you personally experienced racial or religious discrimination in the past year?” Data from Gallup Polls

Religious Groups in America Data from The Pew Research Center 4 reported incidents of 0.9% Muslim Islamophobia in Iowa between 3.8% Other 1.9% Jewish 2012 and 2018 were concerning Opposition to Mosques, Muslim Cemeteries & Schools Data from New America 22.8% No Preference 22.8% No Preference 70.6% Is lam Christian ophobia 70.6% and anChristian tisemitism, often take shape in the form of microaggressions or what some excuse as “jokes”. According to the Anti Defamation League, 2019 holds the record In the year There was a for the highest level of antisemitic 2017 increase in anti-Semitic incidents from 2016 in 29% Juincidents since the organization began keeping records in 1979. “I’ve experienced intolerance with being Jewish. I think antisemitism flies under the radar because people view Jews as very privileged, [people say] ‘they run the media’, 1,986 there were da ism on its own terms,” Hugenholtz said. Because Christianity is the dominant Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas Data from The ADL ‘they own the banks’ — antisemitism is still hate. My grandma was a Holocaust survivor, so I don’t like Holocaust jokes,” Collins said. Something as simple as not including education about minority religions in schools has led to students facing hate based on their religious identity. Oftentimes, incidents of Islamophobia or antisemitism go unreportreported incidents of anti-Semitism in religion in America, some who are part of a religious or cultural minority may feel ed, because students who experience them don’t know if teachers or administrators will take action. population, 22.8% identify as “unaffiliated”, Jews represent 1.9%, and Muslims, 0.9%. “Christianity is so woven into the fabric of American society, that it can be a challenge, because people have assumptions about your relationship to Christianity. It tends to be the default for [Americans], they will revert back to Christianity as a way of understanding your Judaism instead of understanding your America, a 57% increase from the year before Data from The ADL pressure to conform to dominant cultural conventions. “My frame of reference for most of my life was Europe, which is also Christian-dominant, but Europe as a whole, is much more secular than America,” Hugenholtz said. “There are disadvantages to being Jewish in Europe, the incidence of antisemitism is much higher than it is in America, but one of the few advantages of being Jewish in Europe, is that you have less of a pressure to be Christian than I feel here.” There have recently been record high accounts of Islamophobia, dramatically exceeding the previous peak of the post-9/11 Islamophoboc acts in 2001. Religious-based hate speech and crimes occur at City High, just as they do all over the world. “As a girl who wears a hijab, I have received hate for being a Muslim on numerous occasions. I try my best not to let it get to me, but words can deeply hurt and haunt a person,” Eliza Edwards*, a student at City High said. “I don’t end up reporting [Islamophobic incidents] because [people] don’t always directly say that they hate Muslims like myself, but they imply it. I was scared it would be dismissed and gaslighted, but looking back I wish I had reported them,” a student at City High said. According to the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA), religious equity in schools is often overlooked, except when a religion-based hate incident occurs that catches the public’s eye. The IDRA emphasizes the need for safe and inclusive school climates, and respect for diversity. “I think that there should be conversation about religion [in public schools]. But there shouldn’t be practice of particular religions, unless you can achieve a culture where everybody’s religion is interesting to everybody else, even if they don’t agree with it,” Cates said. “[Religion] is interesting, and when people want to talk and learn about it, that’s the best atmosphere.”