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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2002)
Muslims reflect upon Sept. 11 Chris Delissio Freelance Reporter Editor’s note: On the anniversary of Sept. 11, an Emerald freelance writer was in New York City. He spoke with some Muslim Ameri cans there and filed this story on Sept. 12. NEW YORK—A year ago on Sept. 11, the streets of Manhattan were relatively empty, and the city was in shock after 19 hijackers slammed two commercial airliners filled with people into the World Trade Center in the name of Islam. One year later, those same streets are packed with again with people of all nationalities and religions. Presi dent Bush and Arab delegates speak at the United Nations while little Italy prepares for the feast of San Gennaro. A pictorial memorial by Joe McNally at Rockefeller Center is filled with teary-eyed visitors still trying to understand. After these atrocities were com mitted under the pretext of a Muslim jihad, there was widespread concern in America that Muslims might be mistreated or singled out on the ba sis of religion. One year after the at tacks, American Muslims in New York City have differing opinions about the American response to and war on terrorism. “Everybody was nice, and I had no fear (of retaliation) because of my background,” said Said Bendarkawi, a 40-year-old Morroean American Muslim. “Islam doesn’t breed terror ists. Islam shows you how to be com passionate. Those people are crazy, and they are not Muslims.” President Bush agrees with Ben darkawi that these men do not rep "Islam doesn't breed terrorism. Islam shows you how to be compassionate. Those people are crazy and they are not muslims." Said Bendarkawi New York City resident resent any religion. “The terrorists despise other religions and have de filed their own,” Bush told LIFE’S “The American Spirit.” However, not all American Mus lims share these same feelings. Some men, like 42-year-old Pak istani American Rizwan Khan feel disenfranchised by the radicalism of a religion that is supposed to stand for peace. “There are Islamic priests that teach hatred. They’re preaching im morality,” Khan said. “I try not to (bring my son to Islamic mosques) because first of all, they don’t preach in English. I want him to learn the morals and not the hatred. I want him to be a gentleman, and that’s why I put him in a Catholic school.” When discussing the war on ter rorism, the views differ as well. “I really don’t think (Osama bin Laden) did it. Barking dogs don’t bite,” Khan said. “We made Saddam the monster. We gave him billions of dollars (to fight Iran and for oil). It’s good for the country to go into Iraq.” Bendarkawi’s views were more re served and in line with that of the United Nations. Turn to NYC, page 18A Local continued from page 6A from various guests and featured a moment of silence at 7:45 p.m. At 7:52 p.m., Springfield Fire Chief Dennis Murphy introduced the ringing of the fire bell. It was rung 25 times to honor the fire fighters’ lives lost in New York. Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey ex plained his observations of the com munity’s reaction of the past year. “Each of us during this past year have found hope and healing in our faith, family, and friends.” For some attendees, last year’s events could have a positive out come, with work from everyone. “I want to tell everyone to never forget how special our freedom is, and that God allowed this to happen to increase people’s humanity,” LCC student Angela Grabow said. Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken suggested that a loving world is a safer world. “Lasting homeland security be gins and ends, my friends, with love,” he said. While many thought it was time to move on, Lane County Commissioner Bill Dwyer doesn’t believe the tragedy will ever van ish from memory. “We will never forget them. We will never abandon the American we love.” —Jenni Schultz Commemorating peace Dozens of people spent Sept. 11 away from their televisions, apart from the flag-waving and official ceremonies commemorating the one-year anniversary of the terror ist attacks in New York City and Washington D.C. Instead, they stood in front of the federal courthouse at Seventh Greg Bae for the Emerald Members of the Eugene and Springfield fire departments use a fire truck to erect an enormous American flag at the Sept 11 memorial in Springfield's Island Park. Avenue and Pearl Street and held handmade signs, talked quietly among themselves or spent hours in prayer and meditation. “I disagree with our government’s war policies,” said Sarah Charlesworth, a member of the Green Party of Lane County and one of the event’s organizers. “Being out in public and communicating with fellow activists who love peace and justice helps people to think.” People at the 24-hour protest did n’t all share the same viewpoint. Some held signs with anarchists symbols. Others showed pictures of fallen firefighters from Sept. 11 and said they wanted to end terrorist ac tivities without the bloodshed that had been wrought in Afghanistan. The event was organized by sev eral groups with a University pres ence, including the Justice Not War Coalition and Eugene Peaceworks, and organizers estimated that sev eral hundred people came to par ticipate or watch the protest as it unfolded over the day. Some attendees came from over seas. Reinhard Seyer of Austria and Klara Solk of Sweden were passing by the courthouse and stopped to munch the free food of fered by the protesters. “Anything to support a move ment that tries to end the cycle of violence that we’ve witnessed since Sept. 11 is good,” Seyer said. Many participants would not give their names or be quoted, for fear of what they called “govern ment retribution.” John, 82, de clined to give his last name, saying he did not want to be on Attorney General John “Ashcroft’s list”. “I think we should have a visible presence here and not let George Bush and his accomplices start an other war,” he said. “But we also need to respect the people who lost their lives a year ago.” —Brook Reinhard Women/Men FPEP Learn more about the FPEP program at University Health Center 13th & Agate Call 346-2770 or get more information about eligibility at http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu Family Planning HEALTH CENTER We’re a matter of degrees ^ ■ annual exam combined w/ contraceptive management ■ STI screening combined w/ contraceptive management ■ pregnancy testing visit ■ some related lab tests
