My sister, <I>Holding Her Hand</I>, is married to a naturalized Arab American...he was so proud to get his American citizenship last year...<P>I am concerned for him and their community with so much anti-Arab/Islamic backlash...<P>I just ask that we hold them up, too...please be careful not to pre-judge all those who are Islamic or of Arabic decent...<P>Thank you,<BR>Cali<P>------------------<BR><I>Live Impeccably In Your Word.<BR>Don't Take Anything Personally.<BR>Make No Assumptions.<BR>Do Your Best Always. </I>

I agree...

I agree, Cali. Many (if not all) Arab-Americans are outraged at what has taken place in America.<P>Very, very few (if any) agree with what the fanatics overseas think.<P>Do not judge, and please, help teach our children not to judge and act out in racism. They do not understand and they need our guidance.<P>HbH

I have heard on the news that there are several chat rooms that have posted no atmittance to Arab-American people to come into the rooms. These people have come to this country for a reason. They were unsafe or could not live with the policies of there own cuntry. I'm sure these peolpe are just has horrified and furious of the devistation done to our country. This has nothing to do with them. Let's not pass judgement on these people. They are Americans. Whether born here or not. god bless everyone. Give your family an extra hug and kiss today. Thank God that they are safe.

I, too , know that most Arabs do not condone this kind of behavior. There are people trying to come to this country everyday because of how great a nation this is. The images of the Palestinians celebrating and throwing candy to the children were disgusting! The media would have you belive that the entire Arab world is celebrating when in fact thesse people are the minority. I venture to say that most Arabs are just as horrified as we are.

Absolutely Cali,<P>Unfortunately I belong to another newsgroup and there were some really hateful e-mails posted out yesterday - I didn't give the posters the satisfaction of replying to any of them and they have now been removed by the moderators. I can understand the anger - we all can, we've felt it ourselves - but at least having gone through our own personal trauma's we have experienced what it is like to feel forgiveness and patience as well as hate. Hate and anger make you blind to reasoning - painting all people with the same brush. It's so vitally important that we try and keep control of our natural gut reactions to this horrific attack - otherwise the repercussions could end up to be even more horrific for the entire world.<P>As a British Citizen, I just wanted to say that my whole support, my prayers, are with America at this time. I went to a special service at Church yesterday lunchtime and just sobbed - I feel as though I'm in mourning myself, even though I know of no personal friends that were hurt or killed in this tragedy. That other human beings could wreak such deliberate, planned destruction on others is beyond my comprehension. When I saw the American flags outside our community clubhouse being lowered to half-mast yesterday I had just as powerful an emotional reaction as if they had been Union Jacks. For the first time this morning at my daughter's school, I actually said the pledge of alleigance along with the others - rather than just standing in respectful silence and listening to it. It just seemed right somehow...<P>May love and peace win over hatred and anger in our world, protecting us all from evil and securing a better place for us all to live in harmony with each other. Amen.<P>Paint x.

Satan is loving all of this hate. For those that don't know God, he's invading their hearts even as I write this. We need to pray for God to wash the world in the blood of Jesus and to protect those that will be judged simply by their nationality, from any harm. We need to pray for God to give our leaders the discernment to flush out those in this country who are working for the causes of Bin Laden (sp). We all must be aware that there ARE those that have not come to this country because it is the land of the free. They are here to do Satan's work. Pray for discernment. Pray that those people that didn't know God before yesterday's tragedy will rush to know him now...

Hi Cali,<P>I work with several nationalities, a whole melting pot of ethnicities. Several of my collegues are Arab/Islamic and I'm happy to report there is no backlash here, we are all very concerned and in grief over what has happened. <P>Jo<P>

Hi. I am the sister in question here. I am a muslim woman, and choose to wear hijab (scarf covering). Our whole community, including the men and women, are frightened about backlash. There has already been some of that here. . . (Phoenix) One family left their home, and returned to find it trashed. A couple of girls at school have been harassed and asked "why don't you just go home?" An arabic store here was shot at. . . The list goes on and on. <BR>The Muslim community, and the Arab community, do NOT condone this kind of violence. Violence against innocent people is a SIN, period. Any time that an innocent person may be harmed in the process of attempting to correct a wrong, there is NO RIGHT in that situation--the ends DO NOT justify the means. Our only consolation is that no matter what they (the perpetrators) may think, they will NOT go to heaven, and they will be punished appropriately by the highest of all judges.<BR>Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. We certainly need it, in this world of hate.<BR>--3H

Holding her hand-<BR>I am so sorry for what you are having to deal with. I know that the majority of the Muslim-Americans don't feel the hate that the radicals have. I hope you don't have to deal with the racism and hate. I am sorry for my angry outbearsts earlier...This week is oh so incredibally devestating. I will manage and I'm sorry if I offended anyone. <P>God Bless America<BR>Debbie<BR>

Holding Her Hand,<P>We must be careful because in a terrorist war it is not easy to know who the enimie is. That is why some people are lashing out blindly at the Arab American community. It is an ignorant and dangerous response.<P>I have a niece who married a Muslim young man from Tunisia last year. They are both attending the University of Florida working on their PhD’s. She is Catholic and has not converted to Muslim. They are expecting their first child in the spring.<P>She has told me that the students of Arab decent there are being given a hard time. And the women wearing hijab are easy targets because they are so obvious. What is sad is that hijab is worn as a statement of their faith so the very fact that they are faithful makes them targets.<P>Tunisia is one of the more progressive Muslim countries. They too are having problems with fundamentalists. For that reason Tunisian only the radical Muslim women do not wear hijab. <P>One thing that many people do not realize is that not all Arabs are Muslim. There are Catholics in that region too. As a matter of fact, Catholicism started in that region. Mohamed was a Christian/catholic who broke off from the Church and started his own sect. The sad thing is that Jews, Christians and Muslims are spiritual “brothers”. And in many cases they are also blood or actual “brothers”.<P>I too am worried about the backlash against Arabs. My stepchildren are third generation Americans but they are half Lebanese. Their mother’s family fled Lebanon because of the persecution of Catholics in that country. I worry about how a backlash on people of Arab descent will affect them.<P>Like so many American families yours and mine are entwined with the Middle Eastern and radical Muslim problem. This is not a “fair’’ entwinement. <P>Those of us who know better need to educate as many others as possible.<P>One thing I suggested to my niece is that her Muslim friends, especially the ones wearing hijab, wear something to express their grief/horror over the attack and their solidarity with a war against terrorism. They could wear a red/white/blue ribbon on their shirt like so many other Americans are. Just a thought.<P>Z<BR>

My daughter attends a private school, and there are many Arabs there. On Tuesday, apparently a group of Arab kids were cheering in the hallways. When my daughter told me this, I became very frightened. Frightened of violence in her school. The next day I sent her to school with trepidation. There were no more outbursts. <P>This was a small group of kids, but had they continued I am sure that all Arabs in the school would have been affected. Thankfully, it has died down, and they are all back to their lessons.<P>Sadly there are idiots in all groups of people...and a few of the bad ones wreak havoc on all.<P>I have never prayed so hard as I did this week.

JanetS,<P>{Janet I just went back a read your profile... did not realize that you are in Canada. I'll leave what I said because I know it is also going on in the USA. It is scary. Why, oh why must there be so much hate? }<P>The kids were cheering in the hallways? Has anyone spoken to these children to see why they would do this? It's pretty scary. Hate of any kind should not be tolerated. <P>This scares me. It scares me that there are people who would lash out against any Arab in America just because they are Arabs. And I scares me that there are some Arabs in America who are teaching their children to hate America. <P>Z<p>[This message has been edited by zorweb (edited September 15, 2001).]

JPC,<BR>In no way am I prejudice, but it's hard not to be right now when some sick indivduals attack your country. It's probaly in fear for most that you arn't sure who you can trust. There are many Arbs living here, and there where many before. So in the back of you r mind your thinking How do I know I can trust them? How do we know that there arn't more of them sick indivduals out here amongst us?<BR>Don't get me wrong. I would never come at some one in anger because of their ethnic. It's just hard not to prejudice right now.

There is a saying: "out of the heart's abundance, the mouth speaks." <P>Isn't that true? Look at all this A stuff. Bad things in the heart, stupid stuff out of the mouth. <P>Note that the saying did not mention the skin color or ethnic background. In other words this bad stuff in one's heart can come out of any one. This A stuff crosses all kinds of people. <P>Hatred ascends from the Devil downward. He does not care which group he riles up to do his dirty deed. Those who allow themselves to be used by an evil force are bad, regardless of their ethinicity. <P>So we need to focus on seeing and dealing with the evil only from where it originates. You don't destroy the entire house, for a few dust mites. Right? No, you clean the house to preserve it for the good of all who appreciate and love what is right. <P>JHMO, those terrorists are just plain bullies. They hide behind the skirts of innocent people, probably even their own mothers!!! They are not ridding the world of evil, they are evil. I pity their mothers who have given birth to them. That is who those terrorists are really bringing shame upon. <P>A word to all who are harboring info or terrorists:<BR>Step aside and don't hide their bad acts. Expose the wrong doers. <P>I have spoken and met some who claimed to be terrorists (about 25 years ago). They were here in this country and the government were aware of their prescence. Eventually many succumb to 'captialism' or die fighting for a cause whose main aim is to kill themselves and others. Not a very happy future and they know it. <P>It was interesting that their outlook on life was as bleak then as it is now. So much for terrorism progress. <P>Retaliation (evil for evil), is a strong temptation. Humiliation may catch their attention more than a war. Like, is he really a man if he can't show himself or has to hid behind women and children? It seems these bullies want to start a war. It fuels their hate. Gives them justification to continue. <P>Hm...... are terrorists in a fog of their own? <P>Dear Cali,<BR>Your sister and her family like all other good people regardless of their ehtinicity should be treated with respect, honor and dignity that belongs to all of us. <P>Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This is what we need to practice and teach our children. The boundaries of this world are man made. God has no boundaries on this earth. The animal life does not abide by those boundaries. <BR>Maybe we need to take a lesson from creation. <P>L. <P>

I think that Canadians are just as upset as Americans, we share a very long border. The entire free world is in shock.<P>Re the kids in my daughters school hallway, nobody is saying exactly who the kids were (with a bit of luck it is just a rumor). I know that at that school there is ZERO tolerance for racism of any kind. That has been made clear from the very beginning. This school attracts kids from around the world....and they all get along well.<P>Many flags are half mast around here. American flags are impossible to purchase...all sold out.<P>We cry for the innocents, and want justice served.<P>

JanetS,<P>I cannot express enough how much the support of other nations means to Americans right now. All too often we are hated or atleast disliked throughout the world. It has been so comforting to see the world ban together on this. It is really a world issue. Only this time the US was hit. Who knows which country they would hit in next.<P>Z