Saturday, September 15, 2001
No reports of harassment confirmed
Church leaders, Tech reach out to Islamic community

Christian ministers urge parents to teach their children to be respectful of people of other cultures.

By KEVIN MILLER
THE ROANOKE TIMES

   BLACKSBURG - Ministers, Virginia Tech administrators and everyday people reached out to the New River Valley Islamic community Friday through a number of gestures intended to quell alarming - but unconfirmed - reports of Muslim and Middle Eastern residents becoming targets of hatred.

    Ever since government officials began pointing toward Islamic militants as suspects in this week's terrorist attacks, Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent have said there has been a tension in the air on Virginia Tech's campus.

    Students widely report hearing rumors of Muslims being verbally harassed, chased and even beaten to the point of hospitalization on the Blacksburg campus. Tech officials have scrambled to confirm or disprove those rumors, including one distributed on Friday that claimed the university's dean of students office received 20 reports of students being harassed or attacked on campus. One student was rumored to have suffered broken ribs in an attack, the e-mail message stated.

    Barbara Pendergrass, the dean of students, said Friday that e-mail was absolutely false. In fact, her office has not been able to confirm any assaults and has not been approached by any students who have personally experienced negative incidents, either verbal or physical.

    "We've heard the rumors and we are trying to get a handle on those and determine if there are any truths to them because we want to know," Pendergrass said. She has heard second-hand reports of derogatory statements being made, but the office has not been able to track down the perpetrators.

    "It hasn't been assaultive language ... but that doesn't say it's not out there," she said.

    Members of the university and Blacksburg community took steps Friday to deter any incidents, however.

    In one symbolic gesture, nearly a dozen people left flowers and welcoming notes for attendees of a Muslim prayer session Friday afternoon in Squires Student Center.

    "We want our Muslim brothers and sisters to know that we are thinking of you and we love you," read a note, signed "Love, An American family," attached to one bouquet. "We know that you too are saddened by the events of this week. On this your day of worship and prayer, we also will be praying with you for healing and reconciliation."

    The gesture was not lost on the service's attendees. A group of nearly a dozen men passed around the flowers and notes, with smiles on their faces, after finishing their prayers. Members of the group said they may contribute the flowers to one of the memorials for the victims of Tuesday's attacks.

    "I think this kind of action makes us feel a little more comfortable," said Ali Muqaibel, a 28-year-old graduate student. None of the group gathered after the prayer services reported experiencing any harassment first-hand, although several said they had heard of incidents on campus.

    One person who left flowers was Daphne Bassi, a 22-year-old undergraduate who believes she was almost the object of hatred. Several days ago, Bassi said she received a call from an anonymous person asking if she was "One of them." Although she is of Indian descent, Bassi said her last name is sometimes interpreted to be Middle Eastern in nature. The caller quickly hung up after she angrily said, "I think I know where you are going with this."

    Bassi, who said she has several Muslim friends, said she was extremely offended by the call.

    "It's bad enough they're being harassed for something they didn't do," she said.

    Ever since the attack, international students and Muslims have denounced the killings and pleaded with the community to allow Muslims to openly mourn, without fear of intimidation, with the rest of the country. On Friday, more than 25 international student organizations at Tech signed a letter asking for equal treatment and calling the attack "truly a tragedy for the whole world."

    "This is a time for us all to pull together and acknowledge our unity as members of the same human family," the letter reads. "No matter our religion, race, or national origin, we stand here together as caring members of one united Virginia Tech community. As internationals, we strongly affirm that we are not a separate entity, but an integral part of this campus community."

    A group of 21 Blacksburg-area church leaders also sent out an open letter Friday denouncing the alleged discrimination and encouraging parents to teach their children to be respectful of others from different backgrounds [see accompanying text].

    Ernie Baker, pastor of Harvest Baptist Church, said several of the ministers have heard reports of derogatory statements being made toward Muslims and they wanted to make a strong condemnation of such actions. Though the effort gathered 21 endorsements Friday, Baker suspected even more religious leaders would ultimately support the message, which was circulated by e-mail.

    Virginia Tech President Charles Steger also sent an e-mail to students urging them to reaffirm the university's commitment to providing an environment free of "harassment, intimidation, fear, coercion, and exploitation" which, he wrote, "can threaten the careers, educational experience, and well-being of all members of the community."

    Students experiencing harassment, whether verbal or physical, are encouraged to contact the dean of

   students office, the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office on campus or the police.

Let any elected or appointed official know what you think and how you feel by CLICKING HERE.