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The Anti-Hate Campaign, started by the San Francisco district attorney’s office and other community leaders, unveiled a poster in a press conference at the San Francisco Hall of Justice Monday, Aug. 26. Photos by Ji Hyun Lim.
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‘We Are Not the Enemy’
By Ji Hyun Lim
AsianWeek Staff Writer
On a typical weekday afternoon, the San Francisco Muni bus for Line 1 passes every 10 minutes. When it halts and picks up its patrons, riders or passersby may glance at an ad posted on the bus tail with a message and four faces. A young woman with dark skin and long dark hair, a short-haired, dark-skinned businessman, a man with a turban and a girl wearing a bhurka represent a sign that reads: “We are not the enemy. We are your community.”
These posters are the latest efforts by public officials to prevent hate crimes in San Francisco. The Anti-Hate Campaign, started by the San Francisco dis trict attorney’s office and other community leaders, unveiled a poster in a press conference at the San Francisco Hall of Justice Monday, Aug. 26.
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Monabel Herzallah of American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee of San Francisco.
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The citywide Anti-Hate Campaign posters are emblazoned on 800 bus tails, interiors and 30 bus stops. Community groups who helped develop the campaign include United Way, Islamic Society of San Francisco, Intergroup Clearinghouse, the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) and American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) of San Francisco.
Weeks before the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan and community leaders felt a pressing need to address the numerous reports of hate crimes by people who were or appeared to be of South Asian or Middle Eastern descent.
According to statistics compiled by Intergroup Clearinghouse, during a four-month period following the Sept. 11 attacks there had been 1,746 reports of hate crimes nationally, 610 hate crime incidences statewide, 338 incidences in the Bay Area and 76 incidences in San Francisco alone. The crimes, ranging from verbal attacks to murder, were reportedly targeted in South Asian and Middle Eastern communities.
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Arthi Varma of the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action.
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Moreover, 57 percent of Muslim and Arabs who reside in San Francisco are said to have experienced some form of hate crime or discrimination. Job termination and denial of employment, housing and services were among the most common forms of discrimination.
“Arab communities have been the prime target of hate and discrimination,” Monabel Herzallah of ADC said. “We should respond [in a manner] that goes in line with what we show our children — the values of love, respect and diversity.”
The district attorney and local community leaders gathered at the steps of the Hall of Justice to declare similar sentiment of intolerance against such hate crimes. Speakers expressed deep regret for the victims and addressed the need to end the violence by educating the public of the importance of working together in times of war.
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Souleriman Ghali of the Islamic Society of San Francisco.
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Said Souleriman Ghali of Islamic Society of San Francisco: “San Francisco is not going to tolerate hate. We in the Muslim community have been victims of attacks because of the way we look. We are not the enemy. We are your neighbors, friends and brothers. This country is our country.” Members of ASATA also spoke at the conference, declaring that education and “unlearning hate” presentations and workshops were important in educating and raising awareness in the community. Arthi Varma, a founding member of ASATA, explained that community outreach was key and the community of South Asians should not be scapegoated for the Sept. 11 attacks.
“Feeling unsafe is not a new issue,” Varma said. “South Asians, West Asians and Middle Easterns have been verbally abused and isolated. We have the right to live equitably.”
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District Attorney Terence Hallinan.
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Hallinan has issued a statement that the district attorney’s office will do its best to protect all San Franciscans against hate crimes and has set up a special unit of attorneys committed to prosecuting hate crimes with a special team of hate crime investigators. The district attorney will now assign all felony and misdemeanor hate crimes to special , who will see the cases through from charging to final disposition, as well as provide advocacy and support for victims of hate crimes.
Said Hallinan: “In this city, which has always been known for its tolerance, the only thing we will not tolerate is intolerance. We won’t tolerate hate — not in [these] tough times."
To report hate crimes, contact the police hotline at 415-553-9044.
Reach Ji Hyun Lim at jlim@asianweek.com.
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