Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian Bias

Among the repercussions of conflict in the Middle East have been the loss of family and friends among many members of our community, as well as feelings of uncertainty, abandonment, mistrust, and fear. Incidents of bias and hate against Jews and Israelis and against Muslims, Palestinians, and other people of Arab descent have risen across the country. In the wake of October 7, 2023, reports of antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and Anti-Arab acts on our campus grew, and the sense of belonging among these groups was undermined. It was necessary to understand why and how these incidents were happening and how best to prevent them.

On January 19, 2024, President Alan M. Garber announced two presidential task forces: one devoted to combating antisemitism and one devoted to combating anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias. Though differently focused, the groups were similarly charged with:

• Examining recent history and current manifestations of bias;
• Identifying the causes of and contributing factors to bias-based behaviors on campus;
• Evaluating evidence regarding the characteristics and frequency of these behaviors; and
• Recommending approaches to combat bias and to mitigate its impact on campus.

Read below for more information on the Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian Bias. For information on the other presidential task force, see Presidential Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias.

The Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian Bias worked to examine the recent history of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias and its current manifestations on the Harvard campus. It identified causes of and contributing factors to anti-Muslim and anti-Arab behaviors on campus; evaluated evidence regarding the characteristics and frequency of these behaviors; and recommended approaches to combat anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias and its impact on campus.

The Task Force’s work encompassed three areas:

• Outreach and listening tours to document experiences of  anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias across the Harvard community, building on and learning from previous work done in this domain;
• Historical analysis, focusing on the experiences of and attitudes towards Muslim and Arab members of the Harvard community and how they have been affected by local and global events; and
• Collection and analysis of data from members of the Harvard community, in order to characterize the nature, extent, and proximate causes of anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bias in the Harvard community.

The above three tasks helped identify actions that could be taken to address bias on a rolling basis and culminated in a report and set of recommendations to the President. The President brought these recommendations to the members of the Academic Leadership Council, including the deans, on a rolling basis so that they might consider, refine, and implement interventions within the Schools.

Timeline                                                

The Task Force began its work with outreach and listening tours to understand experiences of community members and learn from work already done internally and externally as well. In June 2024, it published interim recommendations shortly after the conclusion of this listening period. In April 2025, it issued a final report with its findings and recommendations, with updates posted to this page.

Process

The Task Force aimed to carry out its work in a transparent and timely manner while proceeding with care and empathy. It worked in close collaboration with the Task Force on Combating Antisemitism throughout the duration of its activity in order to coordinate efforts and methodologies, although each group had the flexibility to pursue additional sources of information and consider interventions independent of the other. 

• Ali Asani, co-chair, Murray A. Albertson Professor of Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Indo-Muslim and Islamic Religion and Cultures in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
• Wafaie Fawzi, co-chair, Richard Saltonstall Professor of Population Sciences, and Professor of Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Global Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• Asim Ijaz Khwaja, co-chair, Sumitomo-FASID Professor of International Finance and Development at Harvard Kennedy School
• Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor
• Jana Amin, Student at Harvard College
• Melani Cammett, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
• Diana L. Eck, Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies at Harvard Divinity School, and Fredric Wertham Professor of Law and Psychiatry in Society in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
• Fawwaz Habbal, Senior Lecturer on Applied Physics at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• Alta Mauro, Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging at Harvard College
• Nader Uthman, Senior Preceptor in Arabic in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences
• Additional student members to be determined
• Khalil Abdur-Rashid, advisor, Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University, and Lecturer on Muslim Studies at Harvard Divinity School
• Nadir S. Ahmed, advisor, University Attorney
• Hakeem Belo-Osagie, advisor, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at Harvard Business School
• Sherri Charleston, advisor, Chief Community and Campus Life Officer
• Robin Glover, advisor, Associate Provost for Student Affairs

On June 26, 2024, the Presidential Task Force on Combating Anti-Muslim, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Palestinian Bias released a set of preliminary recommendations, which represented its first steps in the University’s ongoing work in this space.

Several Task Force members also contributed to various subcommittees, as outlined below:

The Policies subcommittee included Nadir Ahmed, Jana Amin, Sherri Charleston, Robin Glover, Fawwaz Habbal, and was chaired by Alta Mauro. The Pluralism subcommittee, a joint effort with the Task Force on Combating Antisemitism and Anti-Israeli Bias, consisted of Khalil Abdur-Rashid, Danielle Allen (co-chair), Ali Asani (co-chair), Diana Eck, Fawwaz Habbal, Houman Harouni, Sana Shareef, and Jonah Steinberg. The Qualitative Analysis subcommittee was co-led by Wafaie Fawzi and Aisha K. Yousafzai and included Jana Amin and Melani Cammett. The Quantitative Analysis subcommittee, also a joint effort with our sibling Task Force, was co-led by Eitan Hersh and Asim Khwaja. We extend special thanks to additional contributors for their invaluable support on these subcommittees: Adina Lippman for her work on the Joint Pluralism subcommittee; Adil Ahsan, Layane Alhorr, Drew Allen, Laura Royden, and Albert Wang for their contributions to the Quantitative Analysis subcommittee; Shiraz Hajiani, Houman Harouni, Chris Malley, Sana Shareef, and Michael Tannous for their efforts on the historical analysis; and two research assistants (a graduate student and a research staff member) for their contributions to the qualitative analysis following the listening sessions.

Contact HUPD immediately at 617-495-1212 if your physical safety is threatened at any time or if you receive an email that contains a physical threat to your life, safety, or property.

First, contact one of your School’s Local Designated Resources (LDRs). They are available to assist community members who may have experienced bullying or discrimination, and will be able to discuss your concerns and advise you on your options.

If for any reason, including potential conflicts of interest, you do not feel comfortable speaking with your LDRs, contact the Office of Community Conduct (OCC). Similar to engaging with an LDR, OCC will be able to discuss concerns and advise you on your options. OCC will coordinate with LDRs within your School or Unit as appropriate.

You may also wish to contact the Harvard Ombuds Office, a confidential resource available to anyone from the Harvard community where you can voice concerns, clarify goals, and consider options. Any issue affecting one’s work or studies may be brought to an Ombuds. Discussion with an Ombuds is not the same as filing a complaint.

Contact the Anonymous Reporting Hotline.

The Hotline may be most useful for making the University aware of issues or concerns when you do not wish to file a formal complaint. Reports are accepted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Reported issues are referred to the relevant School or Unit for review and follow up. Reporters have the option to remain anonymous and are provided with a means to communicate anonymously with the hotline while their case is open. If you would like to engage in a conversation or learn more about University policies, your LDR or the Ombuds Office may be better options.