The war on Americans is not over.
US citizens such as Amer Kamal, whose family is Palestinian, are worried. They’re worried that anger will turn inward toward Americans with middle-eastern faces.
“People will be angry and frustrated and may do some things to people who look different,” said Domenica Cipollone, director of International Exchange. “That’s unacceptable and not tolerable – ever.”
Muslims in Portland have already reported receiving threats. And in one Washington state prison, a fight broke out when one prisoner insulted Muslims, and then a Muslim inmate threw him to the floor, causing cranial hemorrhaging.
“The biased media shows Palestinians to be terrorists. When you come to the truth, that isn’t the case. Palestinians are victimized,” said Kamal, president of USM’s International Students Association.
In order to protect international students at USM, the RAs are with them and the security officers are nearby, just to be cautious, said President Richard Pattenaude.
“It has been a difficult week, not just for America, but for people around the world,” he said. “What happened is very challenging for internationals in America, and we must not judge people. Maine doesn’t have a lot of diversity, and we need to help the shy Americans get to know the internationals.”
Eastern countries often suffer the violence brought on by terrorists, said some international students who attended the 12th annual International Students Reception at the Woodbury Campus Center Friday.
Amit Ghosh, a native of India who came to America seven months ago in pursuit of better work opportunities, said his country can sympathize with America. India has experienced terrorism for the past 50 years, he said. They are oppressed.
“Kashmir is the war torn place in India,” Ghosh said. “It’s filled with nothing but terrorists.”
Ghosh said that India’s prime minister told President Bush that they are there to help and share their knowledge because it is for a common cause. Not just America is affected, he said, as he struggles to reason why Tuesday’s attack was made.
“It doesn’t represent the real sense of being human. It’s just not civilized,” said Ghosh.
Students from 36 different countries attended Friday’s welcoming event, which was sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Maine.
“Students meet others from the same countries and trade e-mail addresses to keep in touch because they speak the same language and can relate to each other,” said Matthew Gardner, president of the World Affairs Council of Maine.
Cipollone encouraged the exchange students to phone their families. She said her office has issued a memo asking the entire USM community to help the students make calls. This includes having the university offices let the students make the calls home on the office phones for free.
Cipollone said the reason phone calls are important is because other countries aren’t as informed as we are about the details.
“Anybody watching CNN around the world would believe that the whole country is up in flames,” she said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Contributing writer Aimee Risteen can be contacted at [email protected]