Speaker
Noreen Siddiqui
Assistant Director, Cultural Centers, Multicultural Student Center, UW–Madison
Dr. Noreen Siddiqui (she/her/hers) is the assistant director, identity center of the Multicultural Student Center. In this role, she leads the team running the APIDA Student Center, the Black Cultural Center, the Indigenous Student Center, and the Latinx Cultural Center. In addition to working in multicultural student affairs, Dr. Siddiqui has worked in LGBTQ student services, residence life, academic advising, student assistance, and student conduct. She identifies as a biracial (South Asian and White) Muslim woman. As an undergraduate, she studied Russian and journalism at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She has a master’s degree in education from Iowa State University and a PhD from Marquette University. Dr. Siddiqui’s research focuses on food insecurity among college students. She has also taught courses on race in the U.S., gender norms, and social inequities in K-12 education.
Speaking in
The Islamophobia Sniff Test: Recognizing Islamophobia On College Campuses and the Impact It Has On Our Community
Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism are deeply rooted prejudices that target Muslims and individuals perceived as Muslim, such as Arab Christians and non-Muslim South Asians. They fuel hate speech, hostility, hate crimes, and intolerance, often manifesting as discrimination, harassment, abuse, and intimidation. In the United States, Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism have been used to justify concerning policies, including mass surveillance, guilt by association, and collective punishment of members of the Muslim community. And on campuses, inequitable policies have also led to harassment and bigotry that allows for unsafe conditions for Muslim and Arab students. During this session, UW Muslim and Muslim-Allied Faculty and Staff will share research on the origins of Islamophobia in the US, societal repercussions that has led to inequities for Muslim and Arabs, research on how it has manifested at UW-Madison, and ways the campus community can foster inclusion and belonging so everyone can thrive.
Session Objectives
- Explain the origins of Islamophobia in the US, originating from anti-Palestinian bigotry, evolving as anti-Arab racism, and later as widespread Islamophobia.
- Describe case examples of how collective punishment has allowed for justification of dehumanization and deprivation of rights typically afforded to other individuals.
- Evaluate results from the 2021 Campus Climate Survey, a fall 2023 listening session with Muslim and Arab students, and 2023 Color of Drinking study, in order to name how Muslims and Arabs at UW-Madison feel.
- Identify factors that influence inclusion and belonging for Muslim and Arab Americans at UW Madison.