Moments after the World Trade Center attacks were tied to Islamic Fundamentalists two weeks ago, Americans of Middle Eastern descent – both nationally and in Jersey City – began to feel the backlash of pointed rage from everyday people.
The New York Times reported the killing of Muslim Sikh gas station owner in Arizona. A man in Cleveland, Ohio crashed his Ford Mustang into a mosque, according to the Times. Locally, Middle Eastern residents have reported being stared at or pelted with hard objects.
"People have thrown rocks, eggs, and cursed at us," said Esam Abouhamer, the director of the Al-Tawheed Islamic Center on West Side Avenue, last week. Abouhamer said that Islamic women wearing veils have been verbally harassed, and that people tried to attack his mosque on Wednesday.
Mayor Glenn Cunningham sat down with Islamic leaders in Jersey City last week and assured them that they would not be a target for American anger. The Jersey City Police Department has been providing around-the-clock security at mosques and Islamic schools, according to Stan Eason, a spokesperson for Cunningham.
Ahmed Shedeed, the director of the Islamic Center of Jersey City, the community has been largely supportive and understanding. "There is nothing really major to report," Shedeed said. He said the discriminatory attitude that surfaced after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing was much worse than presently.
At that time, a Jersey City resident was convicted of helping plan the bombing.
But Jersey City is the site of federal probes again. Two weeks ago, FBI agents raided the apartment of two Jersey City residents who were allegedly caught on a train in Texas with boxcutters and large amounts of cash (see story, right).
While many Arab-American residents have been interrogated by authorities in the past week, Shedeed said that the community wants to help and be informative when possible.
To show support, Shedeed has joined the patriotic movement by displaying American flags at his business, home and on his automobile. At a prayer service Shedeed told the congregation that "if you don’t feel American now, you should turn in your passports."
Shedeed said he was impressed by how President George Bush has reached out to the Arab-American community as well.
Speaking to Muslim leaders at a mosque in D.C., Bush said he understood that the terrorists do not represent the Muslim faith. "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam," Bush said. "That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil."
Misguided hate
Karim Shabaan was born in Egypt and moved with his family to Bayonne when he was two years old. He went to school in the area and made friends with the neighborhood kids. His parents own a store on West Side Avenue in Jersey City, and he made more friends there.
At school he was taught American history, and at he home he learned about the Arab-Muslim religion.
"It was a normal life growing up," Shabaan said. "We went to the mosque and we were accepted by everybody."
Shabaan graduated with honors in May of 2000 from Seton Hall University’s College of Diplomacy. Although he said he never felt discriminated throughout his childhood, things have changed since the World Trade Center attack two weeks ago.
He said he has experienced some animosity from neighbors and strangers, citing incidents of people staring at him when he walks up and down the neighborhood.
"I was helping my father in the store last week, and some guy started accusing us for what happened," Shabaan said. "That’s ignorant."
After hearing about the attacks on Arab-Muslims nationwide, the 24-year-old Shabaan is fearful.
"I’m a citizen of this country, and I have always followed the law," he said. "Now I feel I’m under attack."
Shabaan goes back to work next week, and he hopes that people understand that not every Arab-Muslim is responsible for what happened in New York City.
"To think that a whole group of people did this is stupid," he said.