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HISTORICAL TIMELINE DETAILS IN THE YEAR 2001 Our victories, obstacles and leaders (Part 6) 2001 WORLD TRADE CENTER IS DESTROYED
"These terrorists
used our (U.S.) planes, our people, our gas to kill thousands of our people
- innocent people stated Lee Corso of ESPN.
He also stated that "It's (sports) been my life all my life. But there's
a place where it stops."
This event is not about the Asian/Asian Pacific American communities, yet it is very much about our communities. Listed below are some details of this horrific and historical moment in time of the greatest tragedy that has occurred on American soil. TUESDAY
EVENTS 8:45 a.m. (all times are EDT): A hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center, tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting it afire. 9:03 a.m.: A second hijacked airliner, United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston, crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center and explodes. Both buildings are burning. 9:17 a.m.: The Federal Aviation Administration shuts down all New York City area airports. 9:21 a.m.: The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey orders all bridges and tunnels in the New York area closed. 9:30 a.m.: President Bush, speaking in Sarasota, Florida, says the country has suffered an "apparent terrorist attack." 9:40 a.m.: The FAA halts all flight operations at U.S. airports, the first time in U.S. history that air traffic nationwide has been halted. 9:43 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, sending up a huge plume of smoke. Evacuation begins immediately. 9:45 a.m.: The White House evacuates. 9:57 a.m.: Bush departs from Florida. 10:05 a.m.: The south tower of the World Trade Center collapses, plummeting into the streets below. A massive cloud of dust and debris forms and slowly drifts away from the building. 10:08 a.m.: Secret Service agents armed with automatic rifles are deployed into Lafayette Park across from the White House. 10:10 a.m.: A portion of the Pentagon collapses. 10:10 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. 10:13 a.m.: The United Nations building evacuates, including 4,700 people from the headquarters building and 7,000 total from UNICEF and U.N. development programs. 10:22 a.m.: In Washington, the State and Justice departments are evacuated, along with the World Bank. 10:24 a.m.: The FAA reports that all inbound transatlantic aircraft flying into the United States are being diverted to Canada. 10:28 a.m.: The World Trade Center's north tower collapses from the top down as if it were being peeled apart, releasing a tremendous cloud of debris and smoke. 10:45 a.m.: All federal office buildings in Washington are evacuated. 10.46 a.m.: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell cuts short his trip to Latin America to return to the United States. 10.48 a.m.: Police confirm the plane crash in Pennsylvania. 10:53 a.m.: New York's primary elections, scheduled for Tuesday, are postponed. 10:54 a.m.: Israel evacuates all diplomatic missions. 10:57 a.m.: New York Gov. George Pataki says all state government offices are closed. 11:02 a.m.: New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay at home and orders an evacuation of the area south of Canal Street. 11:16 a.m.: CNN reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing emergency-response teams in a precautionary move. 11:18 a.m.: American Airlines reports it has lost two aircraft. American Flight 11, a Boeing 767 flying from Boston to Los Angeles, had 81 passengers and 11 crew aboard. Flight 77, a Boeing 757 en route from Washington's Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles, had 58 passengers and six crew members aboard. Flight 11 slammed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. 11:26 a.m.: United Airlines reports that United Flight 93, en route from Newark, New Jersey, to San Francisco, California, has crashed in Pennsylvania. The airline also says that it is "deeply concerned" about United Flight 175. 11:59 a.m.: United Airlines confirms that Flight 175, from Boston to Los Angeles, has crashed with 56 passengers and nine crew members aboard. It hit the World Trade Center's south tower. 12:04 p.m.: Los Angeles International Airport, the destination of three of the crashed airplanes, is evacuated. 12:15 p.m: San Francisco International Airport is evacuated and shut down. The airport was the destination of United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania. 12:15 p.m.: The Immigration and Naturalization Service says U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico are on the highest state of alert, but no decision has been made about closing borders. 12:30 p.m.: The FAA says 50 flights are in U.S. airspace, but none are reporting any problems. 1:04 p.m.: Bush, speaking from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, says that all appropriate security measures are being taken, including putting the U.S. military on high alert worldwide. He asks for prayers for those killed or wounded in the attacks and says, "Make no mistake, the United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts." 1:27 p.m.: A state of emergency is declared by the city of Washington. 1:44 p.m.: The Pentagon says five warships and two aircraft carriers will leave the U.S. Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia, to protect the East Coast from further attack and to reduce the number of ships in port. The two carriers, the USS George Washington and the USS John F. Kennedy, are headed for the New York coast. The other ships headed to sea are frigates and guided missile destroyers capable of shooting down aircraft. 1:48 p.m.: Bush leaves Barksdale Air Force Base aboard Air Force One and flies to an Air Force base in Nebraska. 2:00 p.m.: Senior FBI sources tell CNN they are working on the assumption that the four airplanes that crashed were hijacked as part of a terrorist attack. 2:30 p.m.: The FAA announces there will be no U.S. commercial air traffic until noon EDT Wednesday at the earliest. 2:49 p.m.: At a news conference, Giuliani says that subway and bus service are partially restored in New York City. Asked about the number of people killed, Giuliani says, "I don't think we want to speculate about that -- more than any of us can bear." 3:55 p.m.: Karen Hughes, a White House counselor, says the president is at an undisclosed location, later revealed to be Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, and is conducting a National Security Council meeting by phone. Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice are in a secure facility at the White House. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is at the Pentagon. 3:55 p.m.: Giuliani now says the number of critically injured in New York City is up to 200 with 2,100 total injuries reported. 4 p.m: CNN National Security Correspondent David Ensor reports that U.S. officials say there are "good indications" that Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, suspected of coordinating the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998, is involved in the attacks, based on "new and specific" information developed since the attacks. 4:06 p.m.: California Gov. Gray Davis dispatches urban search-and-rescue teams to New York. 4:10 p.m.: Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex is reported on fire. 4:20 p.m.: U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Florida, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, says he was "not surprised there was an attack (but) was surprised at the specificity." He says he was "shocked at what actually happened -- the extent of it." 4:25 p.m.: The American Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange say they will remain closed Wednesday. 4:30 p.m.: The president leaves Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska aboard Air Force One to return to Washington. 5:15 p.m.: CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre reports fires are still burning in part of the Pentagon. No death figures have been released yet. 5:20 p.m.: The 47-story Building 7 of the World Trade Center complex collapses. The evacuated building is damaged when the twin towers across the street collapse earlier in the day. Other nearby buildings in the area remain ablaze. 5:30 p.m.: CNN Senior White House Correspondent John King reports that U.S. officials say the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania could have been headed for one of three possible targets: Camp David, the White House or the U.S. Capitol building. 6:00 p.m.: Explosions are heard in Kabul, Afghanistan, hours after terrorist attacks targeted financial and military centers in the United States. The attacks occurred at 2:30 a.m. local time. Afghanistan is believed to be where bin Laden, who U.S. officials say is possibly behind Tuesday's deadly attacks, is located. U.S. officials say later that the United States had no involvement in the incident whatsoever. The attack is credited to the Northern Alliance, a group fighting the Taliban in the country's ongoing civil war. 6:10 p.m.:Giuliani urges New Yorkers to stay home Wednesday if they can. 6:40 p.m.: Rumsfeld, the U.S. defense secretary, holds a news conference in the Pentagon, noting the building is operational. "It will be in business tomorrow," he says. 6:54 p.m.: Bush arrives back at the White House aboard Marine One and is scheduled to address the nation at 8:30 p.m. The president earlier landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with a three-fighter jet escort. CNN's King reports Laura Bush arrived earlier by motorcade from a "secure location." 7:17 p.m.: U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft says the FBI is setting up a Web site for tips on the attacks: www.ifccfbi.gov. He also says family and friends of possible victims can leave contact information at 800-331-0075. 7:22 p.m.: CNN's Paula Zahn reports the Marriott Hotel near the World Trade Center is on the verge of collapse and says some New York bridges are now open to outbound traffic. 7:45 p.m.: The New York Police Department says that at least 78 officers are missing. The city also says that as many as half of the first 400 firefighters on the scene were killed. 8:30 p.m.: President Bush addresses the nation, saying
9:22 p.m.: CNN's McIntyre reports the fire at the Pentagon is still burning and is considered contained but not under control. 9:57 p.m.: Giuliani says New York City schools will be closed Wednesday and no more volunteers are needed for Tuesday evening's rescue efforts. He says there is hope that there are still people alive in rubble. He also says that power is out on the westside of Manhattan and that health department tests show there are no airborne chemical agents about which to worry. 10:49 p.m.: CNN Congressional Correspondent Jonathan Karl reports that Attorney General Ashcroft told members of Congress that there were three to five hijackers on each plane armed only with knives. 10:56 p.m: CNN's Zahn reports that New York City police believe there are people alive in buildings near the World Trade Center. 11:54
p.m.: CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno reports that a government
official told him there was an open microphone on one of the hijacked
planes and that sounds of discussion and "duress" were heard. Sesno also
reports a source says law enforcement has "credible" information and leads
and is confident about the investigation
2001 Click HERE to read the transcripts made by President Bush at the Washington D.C. chapel service and September 20, 2001 2001 OSAMA BIN LADEN'S SPEECH
Click HERE to
read the speech made by Osama bin Laden on the day of the United States'
attack on Sunday: October 7, 2001. Within his words, a description of
his goals, motives and actions are defined.
2001 AMERICAN AIRLINE FLIGHT 11 VICTIMS
Anna Allison,
David Angell, Lynn Angell, Seima Aoyama, Myra Aronson, Christine Barbuto,
Berry Berenson, Carolyn Beug, Carol Bouchard, Robin Caplin, Neili Casey,
Jeffrey Coombs, Tara Creamer, Thelma Cucinello, Patrick Currivan, Andrew
Currygreen, Brian Dale, David DiMeglio, Donald Ditullio, Albert Dominguez,
Alex Filipov, Carol Flyzik, Paul Friedman, Karleton Fyfe, Peter Gay, Linda
George, Edmund Glazer, Paige Farley Hackel, Peter Hashem, Robert Hayes,
Ted Hennessy, John Hofer, Cora Holland, Nicholas Humber, Robert Jalbert,
John Jenkins, Charles Jones, Robin Kaplan, Barbara Keating, David Kovalcin,
Judy Larocque, Jude Larson, Natalie Larson, N. Janis Lasden, Danny Lee,
Daniel Lewin, Chris Mello, Jeff Mladenik, Antonio Montoya, Carlos Montoya,
Laura Morabito, Mildred Naiman, Laurie Neira, Renee Newell, Jacqueline
Norton, Robert Norton, Jane Orth, Thomas Pecorelli, Bernthia Perkins,
Sonia Puopolo, David Retik, Philip Rosenweig, Richard Ross, Heath Smith,
Douglas Stone, Xavier Suarez, James Trentini, Mary Trentini, Mary Alice
Wahlstrom, Kenneth Waldie, Timothy Ward, Kenneth Waldie, Bill Weems, John
Wenckus, Candace Williams and Christopher Zarba. This is the released
list as of September 14, 2001
Flight
Crew and Attendants - Capt. John Ogonowski, First Officer Thomas McGuinness,
Barbara Arestegui, Jeffrey Collman, Sara Low, Karen Martin, Kathleen Nicosia,
Betty Ong, Jean Roger, Dianne Snyder, Madeline Sweeney,
2001
Paul Ambrose, Yeneneh
Betru, William Booth, Bernard Brown, Suzanne Calley, William Caswell,
Sarah Clark, Asia Cotton, James Debeuneure, Rodney Dickens, Eddie Dillard,
Charles Droz, Barbara Edwards, Charles Falkenberg, Zoe Falkenberg, Dana
Falkenberg, James Ferguson, Wilson "Bud" Flagg, Millwood, Darlene "Dee"
Flagg, Richard Gabriel, Ian Gray, Stanley Hall, , Bryan Jack, Steve Jacoby,
Ann Judge, Chandler Keller, Yvonne Kennedy, Norma Khan, Karen Kincaid,
, Norma Langsteuerle, Dong Lee, Dora Menchaca, Chris Newton, Barbara Olson,
Ruben Ornedo, Lisa Raines, Todd Reuben, John Sammartino, Diane Simmons,
George Simmons, Mari-Rae Sopper, Robert Speisman, Leonard Taylor, Sandra
Teague, Leslie Whittington, , John Yamnicky, Vicki Yancey, Shuyin Yang,
Yuguag Zheng, , Capt. Charles Burlington, First Officer David Charlebois,
Flight Attendants: Jennifer Lewis, Kenneth Lewis, Renee May,
2001 UNITED AIRLINE FLIGHT 177 VICTIMS
PASSENGERS: Alona Avraham, Garnet "Ace" Bailey, Mark Bavis, Graham
Berkeley, Touri Bolourchi, Klaus Bothe, Daniel Brandhorst, David Brandhorst,
John Cahill, Christoffer Carstanjen, John "Jay" Corcoran, Dorothy Dearaujo,
Gloria de Barrera, Lisa Frost, Ronald Gamboa, Lynn Goodchild, Francis
Grogan, Carl Hammond, Peter Hanson, Susan Hanson, Christine Hanson, Gerald
F. Hardacre, Eric Hartono, James E. Hayden, Robert Jalbert, Ralph Kershaw,
Heinrich Kimmig, , Brian Kinney, Robert LeBlanc, Maclovio "Joe" Lopez
Jr. , Marianne MacFarlane, Louis Neil Mariani, Juliana Valentine McCourt,
Ruth McCourt, Wolfgang Menzel, Shawn Nassaney, Patrick Quigley, Frederick
Rimmele, James M. Roux, Jesus Sanchez, Kathleen Shearer, Robert Shearer,
Jane Simpkin, Brian D. Sweeney, Timothy Ward, William Weems
CREW: Victor J. Saracini - captain, Michael Horrocks - first officer, Robert Fangman - flight attendant, Amy Jarret - flight attendant, Amy King - flight attendant, Kathryn Laborie - flight attendant, Alfred Marchand - flight attendant, Michael Tarrou - flight attendant and Alicia N. Titus - flight attendant 2001 UNITED AIRLINE FLIGHT 93 VICTIMS
PASSENGERS: Christian Adams, Todd Beamer, Alan Beaven, Mark Bingham, Deora
Bodley, Marion Britton, Thomas E. Burnett Jr. , William Cashman, Georgine
Corrigan, Joseph Deluca, Patrick Driscoll, Edward Felt, Colleen Fraser,
Andrew Garcia, Jeremy Glick, Lauren Grandcolas, Donald F. Greene, Linda
Gronlund, Richard Guadagno, Toshiya Kuge, Waleska Martinez, Nicole Miller,
Mark Rothenberg, Christine Snyder, John Talignani, Honor Wainio
CREW: Jason Dahl - captain, Leroy Homer - first officer, Lorraine Bay - flight attendant, Sandra Bradshaw - flight attendant, Wanda Green - flight attendant, CCee Lyles - flight attendant, Deborah Welsh - flight attendant 2001 OSAMA BIN LADEN
Listed below are links to background information on the #1 suspect of
the tragic events of September 11, 2001.
2001 GOVERNMENT STATEMENT REGARDING HATE CRIMES
STATEMENT
FROM ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL RALPH F. BOYD JR. REGARDING THE TREATMENT
OF ARAB, MUSLIM AMERICANS OR AMERICANS OF SOUTH ASIAN DESCENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. Assistant Attorney General Ralph F. Boyd Jr. of the Civil Rights Division released the following statement: "The Attorney General has made clear that any act of violence or discrimination against a person based on the perceived race, religion or national origin of that person is contrary to our fundamental principles and the laws of the United States. His statement is a reminder to all Americans that Americans of Arab or South Asian decent and people of the Muslim faith were also injured and killed in Tuesday's attacks. In addition, they also are -- along with other Americans -- involved in relief operations, and other efforts to alleviate suffering. Any threats of violence or discrimination against Arab or Muslim Americans or Americans of South Asian descents are not just wrong and un-American, but also are unlawful and will be treated as such. "As
the Attorney General reminded us today, we must not descend to the level
of those who perpetrated Tuesday's violence by targeting individuals for
threats or violence based on their race, religion, and national origin.
To do so would be to grant terrorists a victory they cannot - and would
not - otherwise achieve. We are a great nation; we must treat one another,
and others in a manner consistent with that greatness. Everything we do
must reaffirm and respect the dignity, heroism and sacrifice of those
who have died, lest their sacrifice be in vain."
2001
As reported
by the Indian American
Center for Political Awareness
Amrik Singh Chawla, a Sikh American was chased four blocks by three white males yelling "terrorist" near Broadway and 52nd Street, New York City. (9/11/01) Rippy Singh was stopped by 4 white males in a car who accused him of being a terrorist and said, "we will bomb you" in Washington, DC. In Richmond Hills, NY, Attar Singh Bhatia was severely injured and hospitalized when he was attacked with a baseball bat (9/11/01). In Richmond Hills, NY, two Sikh Americans were attacked with a paint ball gun. The police arrested two men. (9/11/01). In Richmond Hills, a gurdwara was fired upon with rubber bullets. An arrest was made when the individual returned the following morning. (9/11/01) "In suburban Cleveland, the Guru Gobind Singh Sikh Temple was attacked with lit bottles of gasoline. At this time, no arrests have been made. (9/12/01) In Ronkonkoma, Long Island, a man was arrested on suspicion of waving a pellet gun and shouting obscenities at a South Asian gas station worker. (9/12/01) Sher J.B. Singh was pulled from an Amtrak train in Providence, Rhode Island and arrested for possession of a concealed weapon. Mr. Singh was carrying a three-inch kirpan. Unfortunately, national press wrongly claimed that Mr. Singh was one of the terrorists being sought by the FBI (9/12/01). Vandals
attacked two Indian owned businesses in Collingswood, N.J. The vandals
sprayed painted "leave town" (9/12/01).
2001
Arizona
First-degree
murder charge filed in shooting of Balbir Singh Sodhi, 49, of Mesa.
A charge of first-degree murder has been added to the charges against
Frank Rogue of killing an Indian-American immigrant gas station owner
in one of three shootings. The East Valley Tribune reported that the
perpetrator shouted, "I stand for America all the way," as he was handcuffed
Saturday night. (AP, 9/17/01; SacBee, 9/18/01)
Muslim
student at Arizona State University was attacked. (Source: Ettenborough
article, The Arizona Republic, 9/17/01)
California Adel
Karas, 48, of Arcadia was struck in the upper body and killed point-blank.
He was shot at the International Market, a store he owned. (Source:
LA Times, 09/17/01)
Two
suspects wrote "die" on a Persian Club booth on the campus of Pierce
College in Woodland Hills. An altercation ensued between the suspects
and one or two "Persian" students, Voyer said, but the victims did not
press charges. (Source: Yokota e-mail, NBC-4 News, 9/14/01)
At
USC, some Muslim students have been harassed and some Muslim women have
had their veils pulled off, according to Sarah Eltantawi of the Muslim
Public Affairs Council. (Source: Yokota e-mail, NBC-4 News, 9/14/01)
On
Sunday evening, 9/16/01, an explosion from what was probably a cherry
bomb on the sidewalk outside the Islamic Center of San Diego forced
worshipers to evacuate the building during a prayer service. (Source:
LA Times, 9/18/01).
Vandals
threw a bag of blood on the doorstep of a San Francisco immigration
center Minority Assistance Services in San Francisco's Mission District,
which serves many Mideast immigrants. An unknown person called a paralegal
there at about 2:30 p.m. and said he had left a package "for your brother
Osama bin Laden." (Source: Kim article, SF Chronicle, 9/13/01)
Maha
ElGenaidi, executive director of the Islamic Network Group in San Jose,
said she received two threats to her organization Tuesday. Yesterday,
she fielded more than seven threatening calls and e-mails. One of them
threatened my life and the lives of all Muslims. And others were saying,
'Get the hell out of the country. You ruined the country, and you will
all die,' (Source: Kim article, SF Chronicle, 9/13/01)
Colorado Buggie
and Pinky Bajwa, Sikh Americans, awoke Thursday morning, 9/13/01, to
find the word ``Terrorists'' sprayed in red paint across their family's
driveway and ``Terrist on board'' written on their white car. (Source:
AP Article, 9/18/01)
Illinois
9/12/01, police in Bridgeview, Ill., turned back 300 marchers -- some
waving American flags and shouting "USA! USA!" _ as they tried to march
on a mosque in the Chicago suburb. Three demonstrators were arrested.
(Source: Coffee article, AP, 9/13/01)
In
Chicago, a firebomb was tossed 09/12/01 at an Arab-American community
center. (Source: Coffee article, AP, 9/13/01)
In
Palos Heights, a man who used the blunt end of a machete to attack a
Moroccan gas station attendant was charged with a hate crime, police
said. The attendant did not seek treatment. (Source: Coffee article,
AP, 9/13/01)
Indiana A
man in a ski mask in Gary, Ind., fired an assault rifle at a gas station
where a Yemen-born U.S. citizen born was working Wednesday, 9/12/01,
the Post Tribune of Merrillville, Ind., reported. Police were investigating
it as a hate crime. (Source: Coffee article, AP, 9/13/01)
Louisiana Schools
in Jefferson Parish were closed on Wednesday after officials reported
that students of Middle Eastern origin were being taunted and harassed.
(Source: Goodstien article, New York Times, 9/14/01) Massachusetts
Three
teenagers are accused of setting fire Wednesday night to a Somerset
convenience store they believed to be Arab-owned. They are charged with
assault with the intent to murder, possession of infernal machine, malicious
and willful burning, and committing a hate crime. The store's owner
is of Indian descent. (Source: Tench article, Boston Globe, 9/14/01)
According
to Quincy police, the windows and front door of Halal Market, which
caters to the Middle Eastern community, were smashed early yesterday
morning. (Source: Tench article, Boston Globe, 9/14/01)
Almaeedah
Market in Quincy, MA was vandalized on Wednesday night. (Source: Tench
article, Boston Globe, 9/14/01)
Michigan In
Dearborn, police said two men hurled racial slurs at Arab-American women
near a gas station late Tuesday. Police were set to charge them with
ethnic intimidation, but the victims decided not to file complaints.
At least six bomb threats were called in to major businesses in Dearborn;
police kept extra patrol cars outside major businesses, city offices,
and some Arab-American institutions. (Source: Warikoo article, Detroit
Free Press, 9/13/01)
A
man called an Arab American newspaper publisher in Dearborn, MI and
sad, "If an Arab did this, your ass will be next." (Source: Warikoo
article, Detroit Free Press, 9/12/01)
New
York 2
Pakistani Americans killed in Coney Island (Source: CAAAV e-mail, 9/17/01)
Meera
Kumar, who, on Wednesday, was racially profiled and harassed by police
on a Boston-NY train, along with other South Asians and Arabs. (Source:
nmemon e-mail, 9/16/01)
One
of the Sikh participants was giving a TV interview outside the restaurant
when a man pushing a baby stroller walked by, stopped and started yelling
at him, saying, "You Islamic mosquitoes should be killed." It was caught
on tape by Rohit Vyas and Pankaj Kumar of TV Asia, who have been running
it on the air. Rohit's e-mail: vyas@mindspring.com (Source: nmemon e-mail,
9/16/01)
Human
rights commission reports at least 3 attacks (1 Pakistani, 2 Arab) in
Suffolk County. (Source: CAAAV e-mail, 9/17/01)
A
29-year-old man smashed his car through the entrance of a mosque in
Parma, OH early on Monday, police said. Police said the perpetrator
hurtled his car at 80 mph through the front of the center shortly after
midnight, landing on top of a fountain inside the unoccupied mosque.
(Source: Reuters, 9/17/01)
A
beer bottle, filled with gasoline, was thrown into the langar hall of
a Sikh Gurudwara in Cleveland, OH on Thursday, September 13, 2001. The
fire was fortunately contained. (Source IACFPA e-mail, 9/17/01)
Oklahoma On
Friday night, Kimberly Lowe, a 21 year old full blood Creek, was murdered.
She and several other Native American friends were followed and harassed
by a vehicle of white males. The males threw items at the car and yelling
"Go back to your own country!" She confronted them and the white males
hit Kimberly with the car and pinned her against another vehicle. They
then backed up and ran over her again. Kimberly was pronounced dead
at St. John's hospital. (Source: lperkins e-mail, 9/17/01)
Police
said a Pakistani native was beaten by three men late Tuesday in a hate
crime. The victim was in a fair condition at a hospital Thursday. (Source:
Coffee article, AP, 9/13/01)
Texas Mosques
in Carrollton, Denton and Irving were attacked in what authorities believe
could have been a reaction to the terrorist attacks. Shots were fired
into the Carrollton and Irving (9/12/01) mosques and a firebomb was
thrown into the mosque in Denton. (Source: Emily Article, The Dallas
Morning News, 9/17/01)
Early
Thursday, 9/13/01, a Molotov cocktail was thrown against the side of
the Islamic Society of Denton, Texas, causing an estimated $2,500 in
damage, said Kiersten Dieterle, a spokeswoman for the Dallas suburb.
The building was empty and there were no injuries. (Source: Coffee article,
AP, 9/13/01)
Virginia All
Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center in Herndon, VA was vandalized.
(Source: American Muslim Council)
Paper
wrapped stones tied with rubber band were thrown into an Islamic bookstore's
windows in old town Alexandria, VA. Letters containing obscene threats
and comments littered the destroyed bookstore. (Source: American Muslim
Council)
Washington Armed
man set fire to a Seattle mosque. (Source: Sacramento Bee, 9/18/01)
Washington, DC
As
a male and female of Middle Eastern descent were leaving the offices
of the Iraq Foundation in Washington, a pedestrian confronted the male,
and asked him where he was from. After the male replied he was from
Iraq, the pedestrian said, "Good, why don't you guys drop another bomb
on us?" (Source: Washington Post, 9/12/01)
A
Professor of Islamic history in Georgetown University reported three
of his students e-mailed him to tell him that they wouldn't be attending
class for fear of appearing in public with their headscarves and being
blamed for the terrorist incidents. (Source: Washington Post, 9/12/01)
2001 RACIST CARTOON 2001 CHINA OFFERS HELP - WITH CONDITIONS
China seeks
to link its backing for a U.S.-led antiterrorism campaign to a demand
that America support China's own fight against separatists in Taiwan,
Tibet and Xinjiang. Foreign Ministry spokesman, Zhu Bangzao, stated
"that any U.S. military retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
in New York and Washington would need "concrete evidence," adhere to
international law and should not hurt innocent civilians.
The Chinese position followed a trend among many governments that have lined up with Washington to combat terrorism by hoping to wrest policy changes from the United States in exchange for its support. China wants changes in America's long-term support for and arms sales to Taiwan, its moral support for Tibet's Dalai Lama and its plans to create national missile defenses plus China has the closest relations of any country with Pakistan - a key nation in Washington's plans.
But China views the attacks as an opportunity to improve what have become
shaky ties with the United States.
2001
President
Bush, on September 26, met with 15 American Muslim leaders at the White
House. Five of the men who attended the meeting-Maher Hathout, Muzammil
Siddiqi, Agha Saeed, Salam al-Marayati and Omar Ahmad--are from California
and dthe start of a "Muslim moment."
Bush impressed many American Muslims when he spoke in inclusive terms about America's religious communities and when he decried the use of secret evidence in deportation cases--a provision in U.S. immigration law that has been employed almost solely against Arabs. This action led to the Muslim leaders’ first presidential endorsement. 72% of Muslim voters chose Bush, according to polls conducted by Muslim organizations. During the Sept. 26 meeting, discussion touched on the need to protect the civil rights of Muslims in the wake of the attacks, and the importance of avoiding insensitive terms when describing U.S. retaliation, said Hathout. "Muslim" need not describe "terrorist," they advised. And "crusade," which was used by the president to describe the U.S. response to terrorism, they pointed out, has a negative connotation for Muslims. Hathout said the meeting had immediate results. Not only did the language of public statements change, he said, but "we noticed a drop in hate crimes after that." California has approximately 500,000 of the estimated 2 million to 6 million American Muslims population. Three of the Californians who met with Bush are well established Muslim elder statesmen. Hathout is senior advisor of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles. Saeed is the director of the American Muslim Alliance in Hayward in Northern California. One of his recent statements he took the American Muslims to task for criticizing U.S. policies but failing to speak out against oppressive Muslim governments. "It is time that we acknowledge that the freedoms we enjoy in the U.S. are more desirable to us than superficial solidarity with the Muslim world." Siddiqi is director of the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove.
Reports of ethnic profiling and sporadic attacks on perceived Middle
Easterners persist, but Muslims in Southern California say they have
been astounded by more numerous reports of restraint and kindness. The
explosive rage that initially seized many Americans seems to have become
less focused on Islam and the Middle East in general and more focused
on Osama bin Laden and terrorists in particular.
Many Americans also are investigating, some for the first time, one
of the world's great faiths and oldest civilizations. Bookstores are
selling out of copies of the Koran. University classes and teach-ins
on the Middle East and Islam are filled to capacity. Middle East scholars
are being invited on television news shows repeatedly and being spotted
on the street like celebrities. And many everyday Middle Easterners--Muslim
or not--are fielding a daily barrage of questions about Islam from neighbors,
co-workers and strangers.
Some Muslims in Southern California say that public shows of support
from political leaders, such as President Bush reading peaceful passages
from the Koran, set the tone for the rest of the country.
"We
are overwhelmed," said Mahmoud Abdel-Baset, religious director of the
Islamic Center of Southern California. Since the attacks, the Los Angeles-based
center has hosted a steady stream of dignitaries, including Gov. Gray
Davis, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca and Los Angeles Mayor James
K. Hahn.
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