NEW YORK, Sept 26 (News Agencies) - New York City's teachers union Wednesday released an anti-bigotry guide to instruct students not to stereotype and scapegoat Muslim and Arab students for the September 11th terrorist attacks.
The 50-page guide, "Helping Students Appreciate and Respect Differences," was compiled by the New York City Teacher Center and focuses on ways teachers can deal with children's fear, confusion and intolerance.
"This is an attempt to give teachers the language so they can begin to help their students understand hatred," explained Teacher Center director Aminda Gentile. "Why is there hatred? Why is there violence? How can a teacher answer such questions?" The guide can help teachers lead discussions about how prejudice arises and how to diffuse it.
Resource materials from the American Federation of Teachers, the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center were utilized in the compilation of this guide.
Randi Weingarten, president of the United Federation of Teachers, in a letter to teachers said: "We must educate our students so that they understand that the unspeakable actions of deranged terrorists cannot be blamed on every citizen living - or having roots - in the suspected terrorists' countries of origin."
"We have quickly put together this resource guide to assist as you incorporate themes of tolerance" into teaching.
The booklet has been distributed among teachers in 1,100 City schools.
New York city's schools Chancellor Harold Levy personally visited schools with large Muslim and Arab populations to speak out against racism and bigotry.
