Editor:
This letter is in appreciation to the Wildcat's publication of Mr. Tyrone Henry's column on last Friday, April 28 ("Bombing reactions reflect the best and worst in us"). I am the person Mr. Henry mentioned in his column, who was ordered to 'Go back home' by some people after the Oklahoma mishap (though my name was misspelled there, it is Abdullah F. Rahman, not Abdullah Ramah). It was not only a single bomb in Oklahoma that was a serious blow to innocent people.
The hate bomb that the media unleashed afterwards was no less serious threat to a section of this society. May be all of you know of the hate crimes that happened against the Muslims all over the country after the bomb. Even the ASU's "State Express" published a hate cartoon by Mr. Bryce Morgan showing prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) holding a bloody sword. But my letter is not to repeat all those mishaps. It is reassure myself and others that it was not the whole story. Not everybody swallowed whatever the media and the false experts tried to fee them. There were and are people who acted on logic and facts, not on emotion and hatred.
The day after FBI announced the arrest of Mr. Timothy McVeigh, Dave (the gentleman who sells veggie sandwiches and fruit juices in front of Harvill) told me how shocked he was by the cruel event but also how delighted he was to know that it was done by somebody else, not the Muslims. He was worried about his Muslim friends here. We received phone calls at Islamic Center from two Tucson ladies (not media people) who apologized for the media frenzy and threats to the Center. Then I read Mr. Henry's column. I now feel better. In this letter, I just wish to express my appreciation to all of you. This is time that all the good people of the society be more active and try to increase the human bond among each other and get rid of the prejudice and hatred that the evil people try to spread. Our color, language, belief or homeland may vary, but we all are the members of the same family.
Abdullah Faizur Rahman
SWS Graduate Student