Re: Brutal Attack On American Immigrants/some sanity

From: John St. Julien (stjulien@UDel.Edu)
Date: Sun Sep 16 2001 - 19:49:48 PDT


>Dear friends,
>
>My guess is that the following, more horror, is what holds some of us
>back from embracing the "at war" patriotism. FYI...
>
>-------- Original Message --------
>
>Foreign newspapers are giving extensive coverage to attacks in America
>on immigrants. What follows is one of the saddest stories I've heard yet
>this week - Americans sinking to the level of those they say they hate.
>All of us need to do our part to stop this.

<snip (deeply distressing story about murderous attacks on
"Arabic-looking" people)>

While it isn't hard to see the dark underside of the following story
it does show an emerging response to home-grown hatred.

                          Baton Rougeans turn threats to kind words

                          By AMY WOLD
                          Advocate staff writer

                          A nightmare for a local businessman on Friday turned
                          into a vindication Saturday as hundreds of Baton Rouge
                          residents made their way to Po-Boy Express to show
                          their support.

                          An e-mail circulated on Friday falsely accused the
                          owners and employees at the restaurant of celebrating
                          after Tuesday's terrorist attacks in New York and
                          Washington, D.C. Said Ismail, who owns the Po-Boy
                          Express at 3485 Cedarcrest Ave., said he came to the
                          United States 25 years ago and that he and
his wife are
                          American citizens.

                          Ismail, who is from Jerusalem, said he started getting
                          threatening phone calls and death threats
after the rumor
                          picked up speed.

                          News media Friday evening and Saturday
reported that the rumors were false and since then, Ismail
                          said he's gotten overwhelming support from
the community.

                          "At 6 a.m. this morning, a lady we didn't
even know, she called just crying," Ismail said. "I saw all
                          that I worked for about to crumble (on
Friday) to now, I see all this support."

                          Saturday morning, cars packed the parking
lot and overflowed into the streets at the Cedarcrest
                          restaurant as people came to show their
support with kind words, flowers and orders for food.

                          For many, it was their first time at the restaurant.

                          "We decided to come out and support him.
We've never been here. Citizens need to take care of each
                          other," Marilyn Raffii said. She said she
and her three grown children - Moe Raffii, Laila Raffii
                          and Shahla Canafax - decided to come as a
family showing support for Ismail's family.

                          Other families also made the special trip to
show that rumors of this kind won't be tolerated.

                          "That isn't right," Aaron Hodges said about
the rumor. "That dude's been in America longer than
                          I've been alive." Hodges and his wife,
Kimberly, wore shirts with an American flag that said
                          "United We Stand" while sharing lunch with
their 2-year-old daughter.

                          Many customers said they were glad to see
the number of people in Baton Rouge who decided to
                          come out in support of the business and its owners.

                          "We drove up and, my God, the whole
community came out," said Wayne Savoie, a regular
                          Saturday customer.

                          Another customer, Randy Austin, said he came
to the restaurant after getting a firsthand look at how
                          the rumor was instantly believed by his
co-workers Friday. He said he saw several people getting
                          upset during lunch after receiving the e-mail at work.

                          "I understand how quick mob-mentality can
take over," Austin said. After calling the restaurant to
                          get their side of the story, Austin said he
sent out another e-mail at work telling people the rumor
                          was false. "Yesterday, I was a bit upset
with our community, but today, I feel better," Austin said,
                          looking around at the crowded eatery.

                          However, even Saturday morning, the rumor
was still having a negative effect for some.

                          "I played golf today and someone blasted
them (the restaurant) at the club," John Langley said. In
                          response, Langley said, he told the person
he was going to the Po-Boy Express to get his lunch
                          instead of having his customary lunch at the
golf club. "And he said, 'You'll be the only one there,'
                          and I said, 'No I won't.'"

                          Support even came from the highest levels of
state government, when Gov. Mike Foster's press
                          secretary Marsanne Golsby arrived at 12:30
p.m. She said the governor sent her to, "say we're sorry
                          this happened ... and to check out the
food." She delivered the message and a State Police baseball
                          cap to Ismail's son before ordering a po-boy
for herself.

                          Ismail said the support has been overwhelming.

                          "It just shows the American value, how they
support their fellow citizens," Ismail said. "This makes
                          me feel even more proud to be an American."

----------------
"To every human problem there is a solution that is simple, neat, and
wrong." Walter Lippmann

John St. Julien (stjulien@udel.edu)
School of Education
University of Delaware



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