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GUESTS: Shahid Raja, taxi worker based in Southern California, Farhana Shahid, his wife, Imam Junaid, Imam of Inglewood Mosque

The Discrimination and National Security Initiative at Harvard University released a study earlier this week entitled, ‘We are Americans Too: A Comparative Study of the Effects of 9/11 on South Asian Communities.’ The report looked at the impact of and the responses to the discrimination that South Asians have faced since Sep 11, 2001. Pakistani Muslims in the Washington area were found to be the group most targeted by government policies after 9/11, while Sikhs were the greatest target of hate crimes. Here in Southern California, hate crimes and anti-Muslim abuse in general has been on-going. On the eve of the 5th anniversary of 9/11, a group of about 100 people, mostly from anti-immigrant vigilante groups, calling themselves the United American Committee, gathered outside a mosque in Culver City and hung an effigy of bin Laden, while shouting “Remember 9-11!” and “No more Jihad!” On Monday the South Asian Network held a press conference featuring people who have experienced hate crimes, FBI surveillance, and other post 9-11 related abuses.

The study, ‘We are Americans Too’ can be found online at http://www.geocities.com/dnsinitiative/911_Report.pdf

For more information, visit www.southasiannetwork.org.