Sept. 23--Racist fervor has swelled since the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reports more than 540 incidents of harassment and violence nationally, including three murders. In the Washington, D.C. metro-area, Arab-Americans and Muslims, and other people mistakenly identified as Arab or Muslim by features or dress, such as Sikhs or Indians, are experiencing the same harassment and violence witnessed throughout the United States.

The evening following the high jacking attacks, a man wielding a large knife and shouting racist epithets assaulted the Kurdish vigil at Sheridan Circle in northwest situated across for the Turkish embassy.

"People mistook us for Arabs because we have similar features," said Kani Xulam from the American Kurdish Information Network (AKIN).

No one was injured but a sign was damaged and vigil organizers admitted being jarred by the incident.
Reports of attacks on Arab-American or Muslim businesses, students, taxi drivers and Metro patrons in the area also surfaced.

Dozens of incidents have happened throughout Virginia, including four bricks thrown through the windows of an Islamic bookstore in Alexandria, a man attacked in a restaurant in McLean and racist graffiti spray-painted in McLean reading "Fuck Islam" and "Fuck Arabs."

A Muslim woman, wearing traditional religious dress, was accosted by a group of white males on the campus of George Mason University (GMU). Additionally, the GMU Afghani Club had to call off an event after anti-Afghan slogans began to appear on flyers advertising the event.

Some have been harassed or attacked even though they are not Muslim or Arab, including Indians and Latinos.

"They attack anyone who appears Arab," said Dr. Mohamed Nimar, a researcher with CAIR, "[they] seek blind hateful revenge."

One Indian-American woman was verbally assaulted on the Metro to Shady Grove. An email circulated on the American University School of International Service listserve described the event:

"[A man] noticed the Indian woman and immediately started to yell & scream at her. He was telling her to 'get the F-k out of our country' & other things along the same nature."

Mosques, Muslim community centers and Arab-American organizations have increasingly become targets for hate-filled messages. Dr. James J. Zogby, president of the Arab-American Institute (AAI), described one message he received in his weekly column posted on the AAI's website:

"By the next morning, the hate-filled calls and emails were a flood. Some were personal. 'Jim, you towel head. Death to every Arab. We'll slit your throat and kill your children.'"

Racist statements were not limited to the street or email inboxes. Representative John Cooksey (R-LA) said on a Louisiana radio program, "Someone who comes [to this country] that's got a diaper on his head and a fan belt wrapped around that diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled over."

Many Muslims and Arab-Americans in the area, as well as throughout the country, were quick to condemn the terrorist attacks and send their condolences to families who lost loved ones during the attacks.

"We stand with our country and fellow citizens in struggling to get through this national nightmare," said Ziad Asali, president of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
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Marisa Zanganeh, Jason McGahan and Maya Bhullar helped contribute to this report

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (UCCR) has established a hotline for reports of hate crimes against Arab American, Muslim and South Asian American victims of violent incidents following the hijacking attacks on September 11. The hotline number is 800-552-6843.

The Arab-American Institute has posted suggestion for community response on their website, for a copy of this guide go to: www.aaiusa.org
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The Anti-Arab Discrimination Committee is collecting reports of harassment and abuse from all over the country and responding to legal issues, for more information go to: www.adc.org

For more information about American-Kurdish Information Network, go to: www.kurdistan.org
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For information about the Council on American-Islamic Relations, go to: www.cair-net.org