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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 2001)
.. HI IHIIII III I HI Adam jones Emerald Tammam Adi speaks in a press conference Saturday morning after a meeting with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)(left), Rep. Peter Defazio (D Springfield)(right), and Muslim citizens. The meeting was an opportunity for residents to discuss concerns and fears following Sept. 11. Legislators, citizens meet to discuss anti-Arab sentiment ■The meeting and press conference allow people to express their fears in the aftermath of the attacks By Brook Reinhard Oregon Daily Emerald Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Eugene, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., met with Arab-Americans in the com munity Saturday to discuss their concerns about discrimination re sulting from the Sept. 11 tragedy. Leaders of the Arab and Muslim communities met with DeFazio and Wyden in the Rogue room at the EMU to condemn the attacks of Sept. 11. The group spoke of the events of the last several weeks, shared personal stories and planned ways to stop profiling and discrimi nation from occurring. A press conference was organ ized by Wyden’s office and held in the Umpqua room after the meeting. The meeting, which drew nearly 30 participants, was closed to the press, but some participants joined DeFazio and Wyden to make state ments after the conference. “Many of these people are afraid to go out at night, reluctant to even wear a scarf,” Wyden said. Arab business leaders and com munity members — Muslim and non-Muslim — shared their con cerns and experiences of the past few weeks. They joined together to let their voices be heard and serve as advocates for the fellow members of their community, Wyden said. “(Community members) are fear ful of exercising the very freedoms that make our democracy so suc cessful,” he said. DeFazio discussed current legis lation that is designed to thwart ter rorism while protecting the rights of Arab-Americans. “There is tremendous non-parti san support (for the legislation) in congress right now,” said DeFazio. He also emphasized the importance of uniting againsf terrorism and dis crimination. “If we allow ourselves to be divid ed, they win,” he said. Attendees were quick to differen tiate themselves from the terrorists. “These people who committed these crimes are not Muslims, they burn Muslim symbols like the KKK burns the cross,” said Arab business leader Tammam Adi. “There is no basis in the Koran for anyone to kill themselves or someone else... They will go straight to hell. ” Attendees represented a range of political, ethnic and religious back grounds. “There have been great instances of support in the community,” said Munir Katul, a retired physician and Arab-American who does not identify with the Muslim religion. “Our goal is to eliminate the profil ing of all Arab-Americans and not just Muslims. We will overcome the acts of these terrorists.” In fact, Claude Offenbacher, re porter for radio station KLCC, said community support has been over whelming. “There were more people protect ing Muslims (at a mosque service Friday) than there were Muslims,” Offenbacher said. Those who attended the meeting agreed people of all religions and nationalities have banded together to stop the discrimination. “I get up every morning and say I’m an American. But I also get up every morning and say I’m a Jew. One of my core values is opposing discrimination ... We must root out discrimination,” Wyden said. University students can help in ef forts to end the discrimination, said Sam Kamkar, bias crime detective for the Eugene Police Department. “We know that harassment oc curs (both on and off-campus) — it would help as an agency if people contacted us and let us know what’s going on,” Kamkar said. “We are in opposition to this de structive stereotyping of what this religion is all about,” Adi said. Brook Reinhard is a community reporter for the Oregon Daily Emerald. He can be reached atbrookreinhard@dailyemerald.com. Student Football Tickets Available For Oregon vs. Stanford Homecoming October 20, 2001 Beginning At 9:00am Monday, October 8 In the North Ticket Building Along Centennial Blvd. Go[HUia]®.com 0019471 343-4480 1X1 GO^ DUCKS! 344-7288 521 Market St., Eugene Shiki*^Brains .com GARDEN _year-round • HID lighting • Hydroponic supply • Organic soil • Territorial seeds _ • Quality merchandise • Great prices • Unbeatable service • Tropical house plant seeds 012581 Aqua Serene 2836 W. 11th St. 302-9073 11:00-6:00, 7 days/week West Coast's AQUA SERENE your fish's dream all fish pet shop Salt Water liiarlcX Red Bellied NW Largest Reef Tank 20 Gal combo $65 50 Gat combo $99 75 Gat combo $245 135 Gat combo $345 f combo includes tank, tid & light) "AQUA SERENE 2836 W. 11th St. 485-2171 I can’t forget to cut out my Precision Cuts Duck Buck coupon this term. OfimSYON Gel your Duck Buck coupon clipper in the Oregon Daily Emerald on Thursday, October I I. 2001. # J This paper can be Recycled!
