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Muslims and Arabs Targeted in Los Angeles
by Sahar Kassaimah
LOS ANGELES, Sept 14 (IslamOnline) - Unlike for other Americans whom the horrible attacks have unified and consolidated in the face of the tragedy, American Muslims are isolated and forsaken alone in their homes, living in constant fear and pain for a crime they did not commit or encourage.
Tuesday's attack, leaving thousands dead and missing, has impacted all Americans, including Muslim and Arabs who lost hundreds of friends and relatives in the attacks.
"Arab-Americans are as afraid, grieving and mourning as everyone else. But for us it's a double tragedy, because while we grieve, we're forced to look over our shoulder," said James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute.
Although many attempts by U.S. authorities and Islamic organizations to declare that American Muslims and Arabs strongly denounce the attacks, reminding society that terrorist acts are the responsibility of the people who committed them, and not that of an entire ethnic or religious group, hundreds of reported and unreported cases of hate crimes have occurred against Muslims all over the U.S.
In Los Angeles, fear of a backlash has gripped Muslims. Police were on heightened alert and extra patrols were ordered for 24-hour protection around Islamic centers and schools in southern California. Despite this, some mosques have been vandalized and Muslims attacked.
A Pakistani woman had her scarf ripped off her head in Pomona. A similar incident occurred in Irvine.
Others threw eggs at a Muslim woman's car. This is in addition to vulgarities and threats almost every Muslim woman is hearing when walking on city streets, statements such as "Terrorists go home" or "Death to all Arabs".
"My answer to them was, 'This is my country'," said Aslam Abdullah, editor of The
Minaret, an Islamic magazine based in Los Angeles.
Sarah Mohamed, 34, of Garden Grove, CA, received threatening phone calls early in the morning. Someone threatened her that they would come over to her house in order to show her what needs to be done to Muslims and Arabs.
A female Muslim physical therapist recounted that one of her patients asked her about her religious background. "If I'm Muslim, she doesn't want to see me. What does this have to do with my professional background?" she said. "We are Americans, and this is terrible for all Americans. But if they think we did this, our children will become the next target."
American Muslims of all backgrounds feel threatened. One Muslim, providing only his first name, Bilal, was threatening at work by another employee who attacked him in an attempt to hit him while yelling, "You Muslims, I hate you all. I will destroy you. I will burn you as you have burned my country."
"That is unacceptable," said Sheriff Michael S. Carona. "There is a heightened sense of awareness about hate crimes. That is high on our radar screen."
Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Southern California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), said that a terrorist is a terrorist regardless of his religion or nationality.
"He [the terrorist] is not Christian, Jewish or Muslim. We hope and pray that most fellow Americans realize that we are united now in sorrow."
When asked about the attacks, Ahmad Sakr, director of the Islamic Education Center in Walnut, said that Islam means peace and denounces violence.
"I cried. I cried with my family," said Sakr. "I'm an American."
"We condemn what has happened," he said.
"But we do not condemn any religion because all religions are against violence."
In the meantime, Salam-Al-Maryati, director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) in Los Angeles said that Muslims are standing shoulder to shoulder with all Americans in order to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.
In Pomona, Imam Moustafa Qazwini, 39, who works at the Assadiq Foundation and the City of Knowledge Islamic School, said, "We are sad, my wife was crying this morning. My six-year-old daughter heard the planes were coming to Los Angeles and she was scared they were on the way here to do something," said Qazwini.
"We are part of this land. We are not aliens."
"This is not Islam, it [the attacks] has nothing to do with Islamic faith. It is alien to our religion, to the teaching of the Qur'an, to the teaching of God, to the teaching of the Prophet Mohammad [SAW]."
Hate crimes and threats, however, have resulted in unifying Muslim, Christian and Jewish Americans in Los Angeles. In some areas, mosques, churches and synagogues are planning special prayer services together.
"All Americans, regardless of faith, have to condemn what has happened, and we don't scapegoat anyone for what has occurred," said John Fishel, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
However, not all Americans view Muslim and Arab Americans in that manner. Many are connecting the attacks to anyone other than the ones who have committed the attacks, as others are blaming U.S. foreign policy.
At the same time, many Americans have been touched by efforts of Islamic organizations defending Muslims from assaults and trying to convince the society not exact revenge upon innocent people.
"I am a six-year-old from Indiana. I heard about the really mean things happening to Arab-Americans after the attacks in NY and Washington. I feel very badly for you. I am thinking about all of you. I hope these things stop soon. I am putting up papers in towns close to me asking people in Indiana to be nice to Arab-Americans. I will pray for you all," said Ariana Lamerson, in an e-mail sent to
American Muslim magazine, directed towards all Arab Americans in the U.S.
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