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Terrorism And Justice

Local Arab-American leaders

Imam Mohammad Imam Abdullah
El-Amin
Ali Elahi

Osama
Siblani

DIANA LIEBERMAN

Copy Editor

L

eaders in metro Detroit's Arab and Muslim
American communities stand as one with
the Jewish community against the terrorists
who last month shattered American lives
with unthinkable violence.
However, when it comes to transferring that con-
demnation to Palestinians who commit similar acts
in Israel, their opinions vary.
The Jewish News posed questions relating to ter-
rorism to local Arab American leaders. Here are their
responses, edited for space.

Jewish organizations (American Jewish Committee,
Jewish Community Council and the Anti-Defamation
League) have spoken out against racial profiling of
Arab Americans. What do you think of that support?

Osama Siblani, founder and publisher of Dearborn's
Arab American News:
I would not be surprised that the Jewish
Community Council stands against profiling and
discrimination. What is happening today to the
Muslims, before happened to the Japanese and
before that to the Germans. Tomorrow, it could hap-
pen to the Jews.
We may disagree with part of the Jewish commu-
nity as far as what's happening in foreign communi-
ties. But as far as what's happening in the United
States, we are in perfect agreement. In this time of
tragedy, we are one.

Tim Attalla, of Canton, on the boards of the
American Arab and Jewish Friends, and Seeds of
Peace:
I personally was not surprised by the support of
the Jewish Community Council and of the Jewish
community as a whole, but it was happily received.
This support will only help improve communica-
tions between our two communities. If my civil lib-
erties are threatened, everyone's are.
I wish I wasn't always hearing the term "Islamic
terrorist" or "Muslim terrorist." [Oklahoma City
bomber] Timothy McVeigh and Adolph Hitler were
not labeled Christian terrorists; Baruch Goldstein

10/5
2001

22

where do they stand?

Tim
Attalla

[an American-born Israeli who killed 29 Palestinians
praying in a mosque in Hebron in 1994] was never
labeled a Jewish terrorist.

Hassan Jaber, deputy director of ACCESS (Arab
Community Center for Economic and Social Services):
I think it very important for us to come together
— not only because of the tragedy, but because of
the threat to civil rights. If any community is target-
ed, all communities are targeted. We must keep
going with the struggle for civil rights and the strug-
gle for human rights. Civil rights are always threat-
ened; we must always respond.

Terry Ahwal, member of the American-Arab Anti-
Discrimination Committee:
Actually, the Jewish community now, as in the
past, has been tremendous ... The terrorists are try-
ing to put friction between Jewish, Muslim,
Christian. Really, they did not succeed. While we
may disagree with members of the Jewish communi-

ry, when it comes to issues of discrimination, the
Jewish community has always lent a hand, and I
hope it will be vice versa.

What is your reaction to the recent terrorist attacks
in America?

Imad Hamad, regional director American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee in Dearborn:
Terrorism is an assault on humanity, whether it
takes place in the United States or in any other
part of the world. The impact of these terrorist
acts left scratches on everyone's hearts ... Under no
circumstances do I condone the killing of innocent
civilians. Regardless of whether it's hijacking a
plane, a suicide bomb or whatever. These are ill
people, and I hope in the new era, new law and
order will help us all take away this ill segment of
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society.
People who do such ugly actions and have such ugly
beliefs are not Muslims. The form and content of ter-
rorism is a logic that should not be accepted any more.

Imam Abdullah El-Amin, executive director,
Detroit-based Council of Islamic Organizations of
America:
As soon as we heard about the terrorism (Sept.
11), we expressed our disgust. They have their own
agenda. It has nothing to do with us.
We condemn terrorism in all its forms — done
against Israel, by Israel.
There have been wrongs done on all sides. No
one's perfect in this conflict.
Our position is we have to use this terrible thing
as a catalyst to work on the deeper problems that
caused these incidents in the first place. There are a
lot of underlying problems. We have to solve them
on a spiritual level, not a political level. Abraham is
the patriarch of us all.
He would be appalled to see the way his children
are acting toward one another.

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A Jewish Dar;-

ADL Midwest leader wants Arab moderates to stand up against all terrorism.

HARRY KIRSBAUM

Sta Writer

1 hen Richard Hirschhaut, Greater
Chicago/Upper Midwest regional
director of the Anti-Defarnation
Leape, quoted a Detroit newspaper
column during his speech at Adat Shalom
Synagogue on Sept. 23, he dared the Arab-American
community to take a stand against all terrorism.
"We believe moderate, law-abiding, decent
members of the Arab-American and Muslim-
American communities, as the days weeks and
months go forward, are going to have to distin-
guish themselves from more extreme voices in the
Arab community," Hirschhaut read.
The article, written by Detroit News columnist
Nolan Finley on Sept. 13, stated that the Sept. 11

1111

attack on the World Trade Center and the Aug. 11
attack on a Sbarro's Pizza in Jerusalem — which
killed 15 men, women and children in August ---
should be treated with equal horror.
`(There can be no equivocating, no
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parsing when it comes to terror,' said
Hirschhaut, "What better time than now
f or the moderate voices to speak up,
s when the president, when the attorney
-=-9' general, when decent Americans of all
backgrounds are saying you don't deserve
to be attacked because of who you are.
Richard
It also means that the Arab-
Hirschhaut
American and Muslim-American com-
munity cannot, must not sit idly by when anti-
Jewish and anti-Semitic incitement unfolds," he
added. "The Jewish community has the right to
expect reciprocal condemnation of bigotry:. -7

