[no subject]

Anti-Muslim/Arab
Sentiments Continue
To Rise: Bush To Visit
Islamic Center

Monday, September 17
2001 @ 04:43 PM GMT
By Middle East News
Online Reporter

WASHINGTON (MENO) -
White House spokesman Ari
Fleischer announced
today that Bush will be meeting
with Islamic leaders
today in D.C. in an attempt to urge
Americans to cease their
attacks against
Arab-Americans and
Muslim-Americans who are "fellow
citizens."


The attacks on the World
Trade Center and the
Pentagon fueled anti
Arabs and Muslims sentiment here
in the United States.
Some say that the American media
has encouraged such
behavior by pointing the finger
exclusively on Osama bin
Laden or Palestinians for
carrying out the attacks


"The president feels
very strongly the importance of all
leaders across America
sending a message that as
Americans, Muslim
Americans love their flag too,"
Fleischer said.

Bush asked for a
respectful treatment of
Arab-Americans and said
that Americans should not
direct their anger
against any group because of their
race or religion.

The House of
Representatives Saturday unanimously
approved a non-binding
resolution condemning acts of
"bigotry and violence"
against Arab-Americans, Muslims
and South Asians living
in this country.

In a recent poll
conducted by Reuters/Zogby showed a
majority of Americans
expressing favorable views of
Arab or Muslim
Americans. Only 8% said they
considered the United
States to be at war with Islam as
a whole.

85% said the enemy was
"a small group of terrorists
who may be Muslim."

The scope of the attacks
against the U.S. is still unclear.
But Arabs here are now
torn between two feelings;
sense of tragedy for
what struck their country, the
United States, and fear
that they would become easy
targets for those
searching for a scapegoat.
2001 Middle East News Online. This news item is
distributed via Middle
East News Online
(MiddleEastWire.com).
For information about the
content or for
permission to redistribute, publish or use
for broadcast, contact
our syndication department.




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