Months after two terrorists killed three men at a San Diego mosque, the City Council Tuesday unanimously adopted a working definition of Islamophobia with the intention of taking a moral stance against hate.
Dozens, including faith leaders, spoke in favor of the proposed definition, which reads: “Islamophobia is a form of racism, prejudice, discrimination, hostility, or hatred directed toward Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim, or their property, that targets expressions of Muslim identity or perceived Muslim identity and may manifest through speech, conduct, institutional practices, exclusion, intimidation, harassment, or violence.”
Councilman Sean Elo-Rivera and Council President Joe LaCava proposed the action, the definition above serving as “an educational tool to help the city identify, condemn, and combat anti-Muslim hate and would reaffirm the city’s commitment to religious freedom and civil rights,” according to a statement from the council members.
On May 18, a pair of teenagers motivated by white nationalism gunned down the victims at the Islamic Center of San Diego before fleeing and fatally shooting themselves.
The victims — mosque security guard Amin Abdullah, 51, and congregation members Nadir Awad, 57, and Mansour Kaziha, 78 — “sacrificed their lives to protect the entire community inside the Islamic Center of San Diego,” ICSD Imam Taha Hassane said.
“In an ideal San Diego, people of all faiths and backgrounds would feel safe and loved. Tragically, that is not the case. These are hard times,” Elo Rivera said, noting that some members of the Muslim community did not feel supported by the city following the shooting. “Some of those harms have occurred here in these chambers.”
Following the May attacks, the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at UC San Diego found that 88% of surveyed Muslims in San Diego County reported feeling less safe in their community, 74% reported increased concern for their personal safety because they are Muslim and nearly half expressed concern that threats against Muslims are not taken seriously.