Forum encourages U.S.-Arab dialogue

Forum encourages U.S.-Arab dialogue

by Catherine E. Galioto
Daily Targum
9/20/2004

Rohit Sharma, a 2001 University graduate, thinks of town hall meetings in terms of a very old American tradition. He was, however, grateful for the opportunity to speak at one last week in Scott Hall on the College Avenue campus so he could express his desire for U.S. -Arab relations to be bridged.

"We come from so many different places and experiences," he said, "but we all have common interests, and even if we don't, we can still understand each other."

The meeting was scheduled under a national program called "Hope Not Hate," which is part of a consortium of 30 college campuses that will focus on improving relations between the United States and Arab countries.

Sharma said he appreciated the opportunity for this kind of event to exchange dialogue.

"My idea of democracy is having more decisions made from the bottom up instead of the top down," he said. "I'd like to see ordinary citizens talking about these things a lot more, as a part of local involvement in economic and political affairs," he said.

Don Curry, a fourth-year University College student, organized the event on campus.

"The reason for these talks is to have debate," he said.

Curry said when you have such a climate of fear, it creates a division between groups of people.

The national series' co-chair, Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, said the goal of the series is two-fold. "First, we want to build a bridge of understanding between non-Muslims and Muslims in the U.S. and then extend that bridge of understanding from the U.S. to the Muslim world."

Tom Howard, a local freelance journalist who researched post-Sept. 11 immigration policies, was one of the speakers at the event.

Howard presented a view of U.S.-Arab relations that focused not on national attitudes but "human issues."

"These abstractions have a human impact," said Howard, who for the past four years has interviewed immigrants, lawyers, detainees and their family members. "While we may be discussing things we are far removed from on an international level, let's stress the human aspect, which can have a greater impact and may help answer how we apply these complex issues."

Howard's speech discussed post-Sept. 11 attitudes, such as discrimination against Muslims and Arabs, which has manifested in U.S. immigration policies, and he hopes the policies will change. "We are a nation of immigrants. If we can't work together without fear and racism, then who will?"