Gradually, backlash diminishes nationwide

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Gradually, backlash diminishes nationwide

Saturday, September 15, 2001

By THOMAS HARGROVE
SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE

On a national day of mourning, while many Americans prayed for justice and the welfare of the victims of terror, Muslims were still suffering at the hands of their neighbors.

An Islamic cab driver in Philadelphia told police his arm was broken when he reached back to receive his fare Thursday evening. Two women wearing the traditional religious headdress were spat upon yesterday as they rode a subway near the White House. Store windows of Arab American businessmen were shot at in San Antonio Thursday.

"We are still getting reports all across the country. The incidence of physical abuse and property damage had not decreased," said Jean Abinader, managing director of the Arab American Institute. "I watched a woman wearing a headdress board the subway near George Washington University (in Washington). She was careful not to make eye contact with anyone. The fear she was feeling was obvious."

Joshua Salaam, the civil-rights coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, reported that a gas station attendant near Arlington, Texas, was shot at with an assault rifle, but not harmed.

Although there have been scattered reports of violence, most of the cruelty directed at Muslims has been in the form of insults.

"The clear majority of what we are hearing are reports of threats, but not necessarily anyone acting out on these threats," Salaam said.

And there were some signs that the level of resentment against innocent Muslims was declining since the shock of Tuesday's attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.

"We are seeing a clear diminishment in the reports of people being called names," said Faisal Gill, spokesman for the American Muslim Council in Washington. "We think some of the initial anger has subsided and we are all going into a period of mourning."

Abinader agreed that the tone of letters and e-mails coming into his group have also changed. "A couple of days ago, all of our e-mails were hate-filled messages along the line of: the only good Arab is a dead Arab. Now they are running 10-to-1 positive, with statements that people understand and support us," Abinader said.

Virginia Littlejohn and Elizabeth Vazquez held a handmade sign outside the Washington Islamic Center yesterday that said: "Muslims are patriotic Americans, too."

"There is a distinction between Muslims who have made a contribution to society and the world and those that are terrorists," said Vazquez, who owns a firm that promotes international trade. "I think we do have to make a statement that we will not tolerate terrorism in any of its forms."

A worshipper at the mosque reported that some motorists shouted threats like "We're going to get you" as Muslims went in to worship, but there was no violence.

Arab American leaders urged against misdirected rage within hours of the attacks that left thousands dead.

President Bush and Attorney General John Ashcroft made similar appeals Thursday.

This report includes information from The Associated Press.