Muslim advocacy group files civil rights complaint against US university

The Council on American Islamic Relations advocacy group said yesterday it filed a civil rights complaint on behalf of some students at the University of Georgia alleging differential treatment of people of Palestinian, Arab and Muslim descent, Reuters reports.

The complaint alleges the University of Georgia’s actions violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars federal funds recipients from allowing discrimination based on race, religion and national origin. It was filed with the US Education Department and urges a federal probe into the university.

The council said pro-Palestinian students have been the target of anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab and Islamophobic harassment since Israel’s war on Gaza began last year, adding the university did not do enough to prevent the harassment or remedy its effects.

The university said it supports free speech and does not discriminate based on race or religion while also enforcing its rules and holding accountable those who violate policies.

There have been numerous protests in the United States, including on college campuses, against US support for Israel’s war on Gaza, which has been described as a genocide by experts including at the UN.

There has also been Islamophobic rhetoric in some counter protests. Human rights advocates have warned about rising anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate.

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