Letter on Anti-Arab sentiment/attacks

[Stephen E Philion <philion@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Letter to the editor of The Minneapolis Star Tribune

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 09:47:44 -1000 (HST)
From: Stephen E Philion <philion@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: opinion@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Letter on Anti-Arab sentiment/attacks

Re: Ahmed Tharwat's discomfort as an Arab American with the need to
explain his views of the recent tragedy, I can understand, though I am not
of Arab descent. Non-Americans are also uncomfortable because they have to
explain too often to fellow Americans that attacks on Arab-Americans are
attacks on Americans. Racist attacks such as those that have occurred
against Arab-Americans rely not only on the fear of those directly
attacked. They also rely on the fear of American citizens of speaking
out
against such attacks (be they physical or verbal). The integrity of the US
constitution demands that we not be afraid to make it known that we don't
approve of attacks on Arab Americans.  Timothy McVeigh might have approved
of such behavior, we should not.


Stephen Philion
Minneapolis, MN