Anti-Arab Hysteria Must Stop

Pictures of Palestinians celebrating the attack on America are shown worldwide. News commentators suggest that Arabs are ‘Satanic.’ Hate crimes erupt. Arabs cower in their homes, afraid to show their faces in the Land of the Free.

We have published one story on this website in support of Arab people. For our trouble, we have received a substantial amount of hate mail, and even viruses, mostly from people loudly proclaiming themselves to be Christians.

These extremists are no more Christians than the terrorists are Moslems. The terrorists do not reflect the sentiments of the vast majority of Arabs, especially not Arab Americans.

Many Arabs disagree with America’s support of Israel, and see us as favoring Israelis over Palestinians. They are acutely aware of the suffering of the Palestinians, as illustrated by the photo accompanying this article, of a Palestinian woman who had to give birth in the back seat of a car because Israeli soldiers would not let her pass through to the hospital.

But the anger of the great majority of Arabs certainly does not extend to condoning monstrous actions like the attack on America.

Even as we attempt to do our best covering these tragic events as they unfold, we also intend to continue publishing stories and statements deploring hate, and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all Americans, including Arab Americans.

The statement below was originally posted on Deepak Chopra’s discussion board. It is a heartbreaking and desperate plea from a terrified Arab mother somewhere in America.

“This is like an open plea. Don’t fall victim to the hate rhetoric and propaganda. Don’t let your emotions carry you away to the point of no return.

I am a prisoner in my home. I can’t go outside. My daughter’s school was shut down because of the fear that someone would try to harm those children. My neighbors are outside, they hate me anyway. I honestly fear that they are doing something to my car or that they will do something to us when we come outside, because, eventually, we willhave to leave the house.

Were those pictures from Palestine outrageous? Yes. But were you seeing the whole truth? Think about it. I saw the footage… on CNN and MSNBC, and also on an Arabic satellite channel, Jazeera, which is like CNN for Arabs. What I saw on Jazeera and other Arab stations was NOT what I saw on American tv.

On American TV I saw a group of about 15 people, mostly children, cheering, waving flags for the cameras, and jumping around. I saw this tape being played over and over again. I heard the commentators first say that it was an Arab Israeli village. Then they said it was in Nablus, in Occupied Territories. THEN they said it is in Jerusalem. I’m sure later today, they’ll say it was in Brooklyn.

What I saw on Jazeera and other channels was this… those 15 people, doing their thing. Then I saw dozens of Palestinians shaking their heads in disgust and walking away, I saw Palestinians booing the people who were celebrating. I saw the Palestinian police come and break the celebration up, only a few minutes into it. I saw members of the P.A. gov’t denouncing this celebration. Did you see that part?

Here’s the 411: Suicide is against Islam, killing non combatants is against Islam, killing women, children, old men, servants, monks and priests, this is all against Islam. IF the acts yesterday were carried out by so-called “Muslims,” expect the Muslims to be first in line denouncing and condemning them (as our major organizations already are).Our religion teaches that there is a place in the HELLFIRE for “people” who do things like what happened yesterday. We are there praying not just for the MUSLIM victims of the violence (there are hundreds of Muslims who work in the WTC, Muslim police, Muslim firefighters, doctors, nurses, engineers, and so on), but for ALL the victims and their families. WE ARE HUMAN TOO, whether we are here or in Kabul or Palestine. We bleed the same as you, and we cry the same as you.

Don’t believe the hype people. Even if the … dogs who did this were named Ahmed or Usama.. it wasn’t me, it wasn’t Joe Palestinian, it wasn’t your Muslim doctor or your Muslim co-worker. I am asking everyone out there to speak up against the anti Muslim, anti Arab rhetoric we are hearing all over the country today. I am asking you to step in when yousee a Muslim women in hijab (trad’l dress) being harrassed. I am asking you to speak up against the rhetoric on tv and radio, of restricting civil rights, of legalizing profiling of Muslims and Middle Easterners. I am asking you to speak out against any harrassment and violence against Muslims and MEers in your cities.

We need to show both the “people” who did this and the people now comparing Arabs to Satan (Fox News) that we, as Americans of all faithsand no faiths, we are BETTER than that.”

Saraji.

NOTE: This news story, previously published on our old site, will have any links removed.