Can you begin by explaining how Restorative Justice helps victims of hate crimes.
Answer
Hello,
Restorative justice can provide opportunities for dialogue among those affected by hate crimes, on all sides, that can lead to both accountability of the offender and healing for the victims of hate crimes. The focus of restorative justice dialogue is not just to talk about the impact of the hate crime on all affected, but also to repair the harm in whatever way possible.
Mark
Name
ahamed
- Afghanistan
Profession
teacher
Question
What you think about hizb ut-Tahrir?
Answer
Salam,
This session is related to Restorative Justice Responses to Hate Crimes.
Fedwa
Name
Muslim
-
Profession
Question
Dr. Umbreit,
Can you give an example where this has worked or how it works?
Answer
Hello,
Restorative justice dialogue has been used extensively in many countries in crimes against property and people. In more recent years it is being used to assist surviving family members of victims of severe violence, such as murder, who request a dialogue with the offender (in prison)as an important part of the families journey toward healing. This type of dialogue has a great deal of potential in hate crimes, but has not yet been used a great deal in hate crimes.
A specific case example of restorative justice dialogue in a hate crime against Muslims is the following:
Within two hours after the 9/11 terrorist attacks Rick, an angry young man on the west coast, called the local Islamic Cultural Center and spewed out hateful comments to Tammam Adi, the Director of the Center, projecting blame to all Muslims in America. Following his arrest, the prosecuting attorneys office presented the opportunity for Tammam and his wife to participate in a neighborhood restorative justice dialogue program. They would be able to meet Rick and others in the community to openly talk about the full impact of this hate crime on their lives and the local Muslim community. Tammam and his wife chose the path of restorative mediated dialogue rather than conventional prosecution. After extensive in-person preparation of the parties, they were brought together twice. Rick heard the full story of how his hate crime affected the Muslim community and Tammam, the person who directly received his message of hatred and intolerance. The victims also heard Rick’s story of what led him to commit such a shameful act. Together they worked out a plan to repair the harm consisting of community service through speaking before students about hate crimes, attending three lectures on Islam with Tammam and his wife, and a letter of apology to the Muslim community to be published in the local newspaper.
Mark
Name
Luke
-
Profession
U.K.
Question
Is this session about crima against Muslims, becuase where I come from, there is always a a crime against someone it doesn't have to be abaout religion. One can be persecuted becuase of race.
Answer
Hello Luke,
You are right. Hate crimes are not exclusively related to religion. If you are not Muslim and have a question regarding hate crime and Restorative Justice - please participate.
Fedwa
Name
Dean
- United Kingdom
Profession
Unemployed
Question
How can talking stop hate crimes?
Answer
Hello Dean,
Talking, by itself, cannot stop hate crimes. Restorative dialogue that creates a safe, place for the victims of hate crimes to speak directly to the offender and to express their feelings and to allow the offender to also offer their perspective can be helpful in the healing process, but only if this is initiated by the victims and only after extensive preparation of all parties before bringing them face-to-face with a highly trained mediator.
This type of dialogue humanizes the victims in the eyes of the offender and it is far more difficult for people to continue acts of hate if they see the full humanity in those they have previously victimized...seeing them as people not just objects.
Mark
Name
sabry
-
Profession
Question
What if the person who committed the hate crime is not remorseful?
Answer
Hello Sabry,
Restorative justice dialogue in hate crimes and other severely violent crimes should always be victim initiated. The process is voluntary for the offender, so if the offender is not remorseful it is very unlikely that a meeting would happen.
Mark
Name
hannah
- United States
Profession
Question
Can you explain how someone initiates such a step if they are a victim of hate crime? How does someone use Restorative Justice?
Answer
Hello Hannah,
This can be difficult, depending on what country and local community one is in. On the one hand, restorative justice programs are developing in nearly every state in America and many other countries. The United Nations recently endorsed restorative justice and the European Union as well. On the other hand, restorative justice is not yet a "household" term, widely understood by all, even though restorative justice draws upon ancient values and practices found in many religions and cultures, including Islam.
The first step for a victim of a hate crime would be to look in the local phone book under restorative justice or contact the prosecuting attorney's office or the state department of corrections to ask if their is a victim offender mediation program or a family group conferencing program that could help with a hate crime.
Mark
Name
Dinah
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
So as a victim in a family of victims whose self worth is torn asunder what does one do to stop the hurt and the anger and the pain?
Answer
Hello Dinah
There is no simple answer to your question. At best, restorative justice and dialogue can create a greater sense of accountabilty for the offender and a great sense of healing for all involved, particularly victim's and their families. However, far more would be needed, including counseling, support groups, and most importantly, spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, as well as stress reduction activities.
Mark
Name
Muslimah
- United States
Profession
Question
Hello,
As a Muslim experiencing a rise in hate crimes - how does someone initiate this in their communities? What needs to happen?
can a person use this if for example the offender is a talk show host who is not reprimanded for his hate rhetoric on the radio? What do you recommend given your expertise in social work?
Answer
Hello Muslimah,
The first step would be to check-out if a restorative justice program is in your community. If so, then meet with them and work collaboratively in expanding their program to work with hate crimes. If an RJ program does not exist in your community, then you will need to initiate your own program. Our Center at the University of Minnesota and other RJ organizations could provide assistance with such efforts.
Mark
Name
Khadijah
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
You know, I still do not under what you call Restorative justice, what it means and how it can help me and those around me. It does not tell me what I can do for myself and those I know.
Answer
Suppose you were a victim of a hate crime and the offender was cut. Like they painted some hateful slurs on your fence. You decide to use Restorative Justice.
A skilled and trained mediator meets with the offender and sets up ground rules. They meet with the victim and help them to deal with the expectations. They arrange a meeting between victim (and support group) and the offender(and support group). The dialogue begins where the victim can then explain the pain and trauma that this hate crime had on them, their community and their family. The offender becomes aware of the total impact and pain of their crime as well as the humanity of the victims.
The offender also tells his/her story and the victim can see the humanity of the offender. the mediator is present at all times to make sure the dialogue remains respectful. Restitution is discussed and how to undo the damage or as Islam teaches - cancel out a bad deed with a good deed.
Fedwa
Name
hasan
- United States
Profession
Question
How does it work? Is there a meeting with the offender? What if the offender fakes remorse? What type of accountability is available?
Answer
Hello Hasan,
Before ever bringing the victim(s) and offender(s) in a hate crime face-to-face in a meeting, the mediator would:
First meet with the person who initiated the request for dialogue, the victim, to listen to their needs, expectations, and to invite support people to be present with them.
Then the mediator would meet with the offender to listen to their perspective and encourage their participation with support people as well.
If the mediator thinks the offender is faking remorse,a decision may be made,in consultation with the victim, to go no further with a direct dialogue. The offender may be required to be listen to a panel of other victims of hate crime tell their story and also be involved in some form of community service. This type of panel can be quite effective, but it is not as intense as having the offender meet their specific victim.
Mark
Name
muslim from beit al-maqdes
- Palestine
Profession
university student
Question
As-salamu `alaykum.
How can a Muslim cope with the hatred towards the American and the European armies who are sharing in the war on Afganistan and Iraq?
I have friends who are non-Muslims who I like and respect, but when they tell me about their friends and relatives sharing in the war, I wish they didn't have those army friends and relatives?
What is your advice to me? How can I discuss peacefully with my American friend who believes that the war on Iraq is for freedom of Iraq and for oil? Thanks a lot!
Answer
Hello,
Let me begin by saying I am part of a very large portion of Americans who are totally against the wars in Afganistan and Iraq and I am ashamed of the actions of our government in the Muslim world. I also know many Americans and even family members who support these wars. It is important for you and I to seperate relating to people we care about as human beings from their political positions, even though this is difficult.
Personal healing can occur even if larger social healing is absent. A good example is the growing number of Palestinian and Israeli parents who have had their children killed who have come together in restorative dialogues, support, and political advocacy to stop the violence (through the Parents Circle-Family Forum organization).
Mark
Name
hasan
- United States
Profession
Question
Can the offender intiate the meeting? How did this work in the case of Muslims for example? Who intiates it? Was/Is the offender remorseful?
Answer
Hello Hasan,
In criminal cases involving property crimes and minor assaults the local courts refer cases to programs and the mediator will typically meet with the offender first, before contacting the victim and perhaps raising their expectations before even knowing if the offender is willing.
In more serious and violent cases, they are nearly always victim initiated. In the case example given, the prosecutor gave a choice to the Muslim couple and they chose dialogue. Yes, the offender was remorseful. This case involved two dialogue sessions. Tamman and his wife feel very good about this.
Mark
Name
Lance
- United States
Profession
Question
Why should we go through Restorative Justice if they are caught? Wouldn't it be wiser to just lock them up and have them be punished for their crimes?
Answer
The principle behind restorative justice is healing and restoration. The current justice system is more punitive where the offender goes to jail and the victim is still in pain.
The victim is not really involved in the prosecution of the offender or even in sentencing or accountability.
RJ allows the victim to be involved in determining the restitution which is a form of therapy. This process also transforms the offender and he/she becomes a member of society again. In the case of the Muslim center in Oregon -the offender had to speak against what he did publicly. That is more valuable to the victim then locking this person up.
Name
fedwa
- United States
Profession
Question
Mark,
Can I invite to talk on how RJ relates to ancient cultural practices? Some thing this is a new trend.
Answer
Restorative justice values, principles and practices draw upon the wisdom of many ancient cultural and religious values, not only in British and American history, but in numerous indigenous cultures from throughout the world. Among these are:
Native American tribes within the United States and the Aboriginal/First Nation people of Canada
the Maori in New Zealand
Native Hawaiians
African tribal councils
The Afghani Muslim practice of jirga
The Arab/Palestinian Muslim practice of Sulha
and many of the ancient Celtic practices found in the Brehon laws.
Mark
Name
Muhammed
- United Kingdom
Profession
Question
So, what would you advise Muslims who are suffering humiliation, death, physical and psychological abuse in the U.K. to do in the midst of this anti-Muslim tsunami?
What can we do, to prevent being consumed by the flames of anti-terrorism?
Answer
My advice is to follow the wisdom of Islam which is if we cannot stop evil with our hands(not in power), stop it by speaking against it.
We should never allow our selves to be on the sidelines but to put our trust in Allah and engage society. Most often Musims are speaking to those in charge - which is okay, but we need to speak to the people at large.
Seek help of social counselors and do not internalize your anger and fears. Use prayer to center yourself and get an islamic perspective on issues. I encourage youth in our community to learn to write and explore their voice and raise awareness.
Name
fedwa
- United States
Profession
Question
Mark,
Can you discuss your research on Islam and RJ or what have you found from Muslim intellectuals on RJ?
Answer
Hello Fedwa,
My research on Islam and RJ has led me to the works of numerous Muslim scholars who have spoke of the close fit between Islam and RJ. Sheikh Faisal Abdur-Razak(2000) authored an Islamic perspective on restorative justice in a Canadian report on the Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice: A Collection of Faith Community Perspectives. According to Sheikh Faisal Abdur-Razak, restorative justice in the Islamic tradition refers to the act of turning away from what God has prohibited and returning in repentance to what God has commanded. Thus understond, restorative justice is incumbent on all Muslims.
Dr. Azizah Y. al-Hibri, Executive Director, Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, states that we need healing, justice, and forgiveness, both globally and at home. She specifically emphasizes the need to put forth restorative concepts of justice. Nawal H. Ammar (2001) makes clear that while the concept of restorative justice has not been discussed widely in Islam the actual practice of restorative justice is very consistent with Islam. In his chapter on Restorative justice in Islam: Theory and practice, in the book The Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice, Ammar concludes that Islam contains many elements required for restorative justice. For example, the ideas of mercy and forgiveness in Islam fit with restorative justice ideas and practices. The various classification of crime and punishment incorporate the victim, offender, and community.
Mark
Name
abdilaahi
- Somalia
Profession
Question
Salam.
To what extend does the international media contribute to hate crimes? As events unfold that are very tragic, defferent media groups with different motives seem to capitalize on certain tragedies.
So my question is, how can mediums such print or broadcasting be used to fight hate crimes or is it in itself a major source for perpetuating the crime?...... thank you.
Answer
Hello abdilaahi,
I believe the media contribute a great deal to misunderstanding between different cultures and religions and this directly or indirectly feeds into hate crimes. An example is the media portrayal of Muslims in America. Most Americans see Muslims portrayed as terrorists in the mid-east. Few Americans have any awareness of the rich wisdom and many acts of kindness and compassion that are so widespread in the Muslim world. Few Americans also know anything about how widespread and diverse the Muslim world is, including that less than 15% of Muslims are Arab. The media must be continually challenged to have more integrity and openness to how they address hate crimes.
Mark
Name
From: Editor
-
Profession
Question
We would like to thank Dr. Mark Umbreit and Fedwa Wazwaz for their time and contribution on the subject of Hate Crimes.
Thank you for inviting me to be in this live dialogue. As a non-Muslim I highly value the opportunity to build bridges of peace and greater understanding between our communities. It has been an honor to be in dialogue with Muslims in six different countries.
Mark
Name
Muhammed
- Egypt
Profession
Alfa
Question
Asalam alaykum,
Please i would like to know what to do to have free of mind, and convidence.
May Allah (SWT) reward you.
Answer
Salaam Muhammad,
I think prayer is the best solution. I always found that praying to Allah for a solution to something I am struggling with always works.
When you pray focus on what you are saying and try to make it a personal intimate discussion between you and God. Ask Allah during sujood for peace of mind and confidence and Allah will help you see things you may be doing that is making you feel inconfident. Seek the help of a social counselor as well.
