Fletcher holds panel on issues of terrorism, discrimination

The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy hosted a panel discussion on Monday titled "The New American Profile: Eye on the 'Other,'" _ one in a line of events held this week to commemorate Sept. 11.

The United Way of Massachusetts and the Fletcher School co-sponsored the interactive panel. Panelists addressed issues of terrorism, Islam, public perception of religion and the racial and religious discrimination inflamed by Sept. 11.

Christopher Lydon, "Ten O'clock News" anchor on Channel 2, and journalist for the New York Times and Boston Globe, served as panel moderator.

Panelists personalized the discussion by recounting how Sept. 11 affected their own lives. Quamar-ul Huda, assistant professor of Islamic Studies and Comparative Theology at Boston College, is of Pakistani origin, and said his association with Islam was a source of guilt after the attacks.

Huda said he is tired of having to deal with racial stereotypes. "I'm more frustrated, upset, unsettled, and unsure than ever, but also optimistic, since I have no other alternative," he said.

Leila Fawaz, Director of the Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies at Tufts, said she reacted to Sept. 11 by attempting to further blend into the US mainstream. She immediately changed her physical appearance, abandoning her natural brunette color for blond hair. She also began to wear a cross around her neck and was angered when her husband spoke Arabic to her in public.

But Fawaz told the audience "It's okay to have different views, as long as everyone respects each other."

Lydon raised the issue of the sadness many felt in the wake of such a shattering event.

Political humorist and panelist Jimmy Tingle discussed his own feelings of despondency following Sept. 11. Tingle said he was uncomfortable using humor again until a flight attendant told him how much his work cheered her up.

Panelist Usmaan Ahmad, a Kashmiri-American, recounted an incident following the attacks in which he was judged as a threat simply because of his appearance. Although they knew nothing of his name or origin, security guards forced him off of a plane simply because they felt he looked like a potential danger.

Ahmad noted that many minority grocery market owners and foreign taxi drivers posted the American flag on their windows immediately following Sept. 11. They felt like they had to have the flag up, he said.

Former Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph Martin II also served as a panelist. Although he expressed satisfaction with the current climate of the US, he noted that "the world sees the US as inconsistent and hypocritical."

Fawaz concluded that the consistency of policy is important. She added: "The US is a great country and we have to make sure that it stays great."

Fletcher student Malini Goel said respect for everyone's opinions was the panel's most important element. "This panel shows what Fletcher stands for: open dialogue, listening to each other's ideas, and learning," Goel said.

Junior Lauren Friedman, a native New Yorker, said she was pleased that the panel was held "to commemorate the terrible event that affected [NY] city and the whole nation."

The panel was one of many events that the United Way has helped arrange and fund. The organization's one million dollar fund provided counseling, legal assistance, and help for those who lost their jobs due to the economic downturn following September's events