In the wake of last week’s devastating terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, enraged Americans are desperately searching for someone to blame. The hijackers are already dead, so the guilty parties cannot simply be rounded up and thrown in jail. The public can put a face with the bombings?most of the evidence points to the vehemently anti-American Islamic militant, Osama bin Laden?but his face is nowhere to be found. He could be in Afghanistan, but he just as easily could have fled the country. Some might blame his terrorist network, Al Qaeda, but information about its members is limited, and its activities cannot easily be pinpointed.
Americans are having an extremely difficult time finding an appropriate target for their anger. Unfortunately, some have found an inappropriate target?American Muslims or Arab-Americans or anyone from a dark skinned ethnic group. Already these groups have become victims of both verbal and physical assaults across the country and Georgetown is no exception. Sadly, the Muslim Student Association warned Muslim students from walking through campus alone and instances of verbal assaults have already been reported.
Assaults against these groups are inexcusable. Their perpetrators wrongly assume that because the hijackers were of Arab or Middle Eastern descent, all Muslims are somehow to blame for terrorism. The argument is ludicrous. It equates Islam with terrorism and claims that a few knife-wielding fanatics are representative of the entire Islamic faith. The vast majority of the religion’s one billion adherents are no doubt as outraged over the attacks as the vast majority of Americans. The majority of Muslims, furthermore, have no connection with Middle Eastern Arabs, except their religion. Linking them all together is not only wrong but grossly stereotypes Islam’s diverse followers.
The same can be said for American Christians. The overwhelming majority might find it all too uncomfortable that just a couple days ago television evangelist Jerry Falwell blamed pro-choicers as well as homosexuals, feminists and even the American Civil Liberties’ Union for Tuesday’s attacks, saying that God allowed “the enemies of America to give us what we probably deserve.” Mainstream Christians, who hopefully find Falwell’s remarks abhorrent, should remember the dangers of linking a religion’s beliefs be to certain individuals.
It goes without saying that assaulting innocent American Muslims or those of Arab descent is wrong. But simply refraining from violence is not enough. Our community must actively show its support for every one of its members, regardless of race or ethnicity. Last week’s terrorist attacks were demonstrations of hate; they must have no place in this campus.
