Misplaced ‘Patriotism’

In the month following the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, the Orange County Human Relations Commission received 24 reports of hate-related incidents involving people perceived to be from the Middle East.

The commission says it had never before recorded that many cases toward that community. Given the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 and the patriotic reaction to them, some residents might conclude that the high incidence is understandable.

It’s not. Especially not when nine of the victims in those incidents weren’t even from that part of the world. The commission found that the verbal, and in one or two cases physical, assaults were against Latinos and others not from the Mideast.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations received about 85 more reports covering verbal and physical assaults, vandalism and graffiti in Orange County. Again, not all the victims were from the Middle East. Nor should they, or anyone else, be singled out for assault. Our enemies are the terrorists. It is also significant that U.S. Muslims and others throughout the world have denounced the attacks and terrorism conducted in the name of their faith.

Not as widely reported or logged are the many positive acts of kindness toward local Muslims. Orange County is its own melting pot today. Now is the time for county residents to focus not only on our democracy but also on our diversity and the rights of all who live in our communities.

President Bush said it well when he called for Americans “to refrain from unfairness or unkindness to anyone because of his or her nationality or religion.” The disturbing reports of harassment of Orange County Muslims remind us that fairness and generosity of spirit must begin at home.