The Muslim News

Middle East News Online

EW YORK, USA(MENO) - Nissam Hafiz is an Arab-American. Like thousands of
American victims, he is buried under the rubble of the towers of the World
Trade Center. Hafiz's sister stands somewhere close to the rescue
operation in New York holding tight on her brothers' picture, asking
people "have you seen this man?"

Waleed Iskandar, 34 and Gerges Hashem, 37, both Arab Americans from
Lebanon have also been confirmed dead as American Airlines flight 11
crashed in the Tower one of the World Trade Center.

Hashem, a 37-year-old resident of Boston, was a product manager at the
Teradyne Company. He left Lebanon some three decades ago, but visited the
country regularly. He was married to Rita Hashem, and the couple have two
children.

Waleed Iskandar and his South African fiance had arranged to travel to the
Los Angeles area to meet Iskandar's parents. Iskandar, who resided in
London where he worked for the Monitor consulting firm, had been in the
Boston area for three days visiting his brother.

But the Hafiz, Iskandar and Hashem family's other tragedy, besides the
loss of their son, is the fact that they like millions of Muslims and
Arabs in the US are being used as scapegoat for the Americans who just
want to vend their anger.

"I just don't understand this," an Arab American University student told
MENO. He added, "we are parts of this tragedy, we are buried under the
rubble, we are sharing our blood with the survivors, we are helping in the
rescue efforts, we are praying for the victims' families, we raising the
American flags over our houses, and shedding tears while watching the
horrific scenes on television."

"But here we are standing alone, facing the hate of millions who, rather
than searching for the real criminals, chasing behind innocent Americans
for simply being of a different background or a different faith," he
lamented.

The Washington Post reported that at least 100 Muslim organization in the
United States reported hate crimes and harassment. In the Washington DC
area two mosques and a bookstore were vandalized. In New York a man
pointed a gun at an Arab man working in a gas station and threatened to
shoot. In Texas, a mosque came under attack when assailants opened random
fire.

Considering the large number of Muslims and Arabs living and working in
the New York area, it is expected that dozens of them have lost their
lives or are still buried under the rubbles.

Muslim groups are expressing their disappointment that the media and the
rest of the American people are stripping them from their identity as
Americans for simply being of Arab origins or for professing the Islamic
faith.

Nissam Hafiz's family and dozens of other Muslim and Arab families are too
waiting to hear of the fate of their loved ones. However they wonder, how
can they be the victims and yet accused of being the victimizer, all at
once? No one seems to have an answer.

Email this story to a friend | Printable Version