Word for Word: The flip side of anti-Muslim bias

By SUSAN ASCHOFF

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 8, 2001

From e-mails sent to the Council on American-Islamic Relations by Muslim Americans since the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the United States.

CAIR, based in Washington, D.C., and established in 1994, is a national advocacy group for Muslims and monitors discrimination and hate crimes against them.

- SUSAN ASCHOFF, Times staff writer

I was away on vacation when this incident occurred on Sept. 11. My neighbor brought us flowers with a card and left it on the doorstep. I have not met this person in all my 16 years of living in this neighborhood. Her (words) were: "To our neighbors -- In this time, we want you to know that we are here for you, and it is our sincere prayer that you are not subjected to any unpleasantness. With our best wishes, Your neighbors."

My wife went to a store in town. Obviously she is very cautious when she goes out nowadays. While she was at the parking lot, suddenly a minivan pulled right beside her and a lady came out. She came directly to my wife and introduced herself and said right away: "On behalf of the American people I want to say that I am so sorry for some of our countrymen who are wrongfully accusing people like you. I know you all are sharing the grief with us but it is not fair the way some of us are treating you and your people." With this, tears came to the lady's eyes and she drove away.

I am a resident doctor who wears (a scarf). After the attacks on the World Trade Center, I along with many other Muslims felt a bit nervous about the anti-Muslim backlash. . . . One of my first days back to work I happened to go in to see a child accompanied by her mother and rather large stepfather. Quickly launching into my introductions and questions, I was thinking I could get through it without issue. Until the stepfather interrupted me with, "Hey! You're one of those." There was a long, painful pause as I struggled to keep a neutral expression and voice and mustered up a calculated, "Huh?" He looked at me and in a booming voice went on. "Yeah, you're one of those people. Them folks that people are making trouble for, you guys and those Indians. It ain't got nothing to do with y'all. It ain't right. They're messing with you guys for no reason at all." It has been so touching to connect with people that, whatever their situation in life, show their empathy and concern in whatever ways they know.

I was the only Muslim with (a scarf) among my group of close friends (traveling to West Virginia). We stopped by a Country Buffet Restaurant for dinner. I was alert, cautious and aware of my surroundings. We prepaid for our food and headed to the buffet. Ten minutes after we settled into our seats, the waitress leaned by our table with what appeared to be our money and receipt. We assumed they were going to kick us out. She told us on behalf of the restaurant, they wanted to pay for our entire meal and give us a total refund. They were very sympathetic of the innocent lives. The waitress was also sympathetic to the Muslim community and did not want to see any more innocent lives lost due to war. What struck me the most, that brought tears to my eyes, were her tears. She told me she was proud that I had the courage and strength to come out and wear the appropriate veil.

I was afraid to go to the mosque today (in Seattle). For the first time since I became a Muslim a year ago, I was afraid to wear my head covering. . . . I was so surprised when I got there, to see the entire front of my mosque arranged with bouquets of flowers, flags, cards. The neighbors and other friendly residents (were) standing out front greeting everyone as we arrived with words of encouragement and kindness. It brought tears to my eyes and made me ashamed of my fear, for I had assumed that everyone was afraid or hated us (Muslims). These people truly cared about us, they wanted to know us, they wanted to show us that they are there for us.

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