By Kalilu Jawara

University of Maryland administrators issued a campuswide email Tuesday providing updates on a joint task force the university launched to combat antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus.

Launched in December 2023, the task force was a response to “a rise in the number of hate incidents nationally against religious, national and shared ancestry groups,” the initial announcement read. That year, the FBI recorded 2,669 religion-based hate crimes nationwide.

With the email sent a day before demonstrations on campus commemorating the third anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, some viewed it as an indirect commentary on the Israel-Hamas war.

“It comes off as the university trying to take a neutral stance,” said Sara Mohammad, a senior psychology, criminology and criminal justice major. “It just seems to me like their way of not picking a side and acting like they care about all students. Truthfully, I don’t think the university cares about all the students all that equally, and I have a lot of reasons for thinking that way.”

The group made 10 recommendations in its final report, published in November 2024. Pines’ email explained the university’s approach to meeting them. Their recommendations included expanded educational programming, providing mental health resources and remaining neutral on divisive issues.

“This work reflects an ongoing commitment to the principles that guided the Task Force’s recommendations: fostering a campus where all members of our community can learn, work and live with safety, dignity and a sense of belonging,” the email read.

Pines and UMD Senate Chair Wendy Stickle’s email about the task force’s work left some UMD students feeling dissatisfied.

“I was kind of indifferent to it,” said Michael Marder, a senior aerospace engineering major and a member of Students Supporting Israel. “For me, words are just words, but action is more important.”

The task force included a range of professors, students and researchers in organizations such as the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Muslim Student Association and the Jewish Student Union, to provide solutions on mitigating hate and bias.

Experiences of hate on campus vary from student to student. Some acknowledged the heightened tensions caused by the conflict overseas, but said the university has managed it properly.

“I’m pretty proud of my Judaism,” said sophomore finance major Ralph Bakst, a member of Maryland Hillel. “I wear my Jewish star pretty openly. Overall as a campus, even though people have different political opinions, it’s a pretty safe environment and people can have a conversation.”

For Marder, religious-based hatred on campus remains a subject on his mind. 

“I’ve been more afraid to wear my kippah in public,” Marder said. “Unfortunately, a lot of people like myself start to get more fearful when they see someone with a hijab walking by, or a keffiyeh, and we really shouldn’t be.”

The overseas conflict has played a role, with ethnically-charged bigotry accompanying many religiously-charged insults, according to Mohammad.

“There’s people who have experienced being called terrorists on campus,” Mohammad said.  “A lot of times, it is unfortunately related to being Palestinian or being pro-Palestine, or even just being Arab or just looking like you’re Arab.”

The email acknowledges a need for further action, stating “we continue to face challenges that keep antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate a continued source of fear for many of us.” 

A vow to continue these efforts closes the email.

“I would want to see the administration focusing on making policies that actually benefit our students,” Mohammad said.

Featured Image: Students shout names of Palestinian children who have died during a protest on Oct. 7.
Photo by Josh Hananel.