Muslims in Southland Brace for Retaliation

American Muslims joined a stunned nation Tuesday in denouncing the attacks in New York and Washington--and then braced themselves for an anti-Islamic backlash.

From Washington to Los Angeles, Muslim leaders quickly mobilized to put out the word that they stood united with other Americans. At the same time, Muslim parochial schools were being closed, Islamic centers and mosques were being shuttered, and Muslim workers were staying off the job out of fear that they would be targeted amid an upturn in e-mail and telephone threats.

“Our country is under attack,” said Salam Al-Marayati, director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Los Angeles. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with all Americans to bring the perpetrators of this heinous crime to justice.”

Al-Marayati was in Washington on Tuesday with other Muslim leaders for a previously scheduled meeting at the White House with President Bush to discuss the Middle East crisis.

“These attacks are the work of Satan,” said Yahia Abdul-Rahman, president of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, which represents half a million Muslims in 67 Islamic centers. “All I can do is kneel inside my heart and ask God to accept those who died into paradise, relieve the pain of their families and bring together those who love God to combat the work of the devil.”

Against the backdrop of an ongoing series of terrorist acts and plots against the U.S. by extremist Islamic groups, John Fishel, president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, cautioned against blaming any group for Tuesday’s acts before the evidence is in.

“All Americans, regardless of faith, have to condemn what has happened, and we don’t scapegoat anyone for what has occurred,” he said. His statement was welcomed by Muslim leaders.

Nonetheless, Muslims said they were already feeling repercussions. Hate calls and e-mails, all anonymous, were reported by Islamic centers and private citizens.

They were warned to leave the country.

“My answer to them was, ‘This is my country,’ ” said Aslam Abdullah, editor of Minaret, an Islamic magazine published in Los Angeles.

Police were stationed outside the Islamic Center of Southern California on Vermont Avenue in Los Angeles and the Islamic Society of Orange County in Garden Grove.

“We don’t want any wackos coming at this mosque seeking revenge for what’s going on in New York,” said Garden Grove Mayor Bruce Broadwater.

At the Islamic New Horizon School in Pasadena, which sent its 274 students home at noon Tuesday, panicked parents came to pick up their children and share their fears that they would become retaliatory targets for the terrorist attacks.

Salwa Abdel-Aal, a physical therapist who came to pick up her 11-year-old son, was nearly in tears as she recounted how one of her patients Tuesday demanded to know what her religious background was.

“If I’m Muslim, she doesn’t want to see me. What does this have to do with my professional background?” she said. “We are Americans, and this is terrible for all Americans. But if they think we did this, our children will become the next target.”

Muslim women in particular expressed concern that they would be targeted because of their Islamic head covering, called hijab. Necva Ozgur, New Horizon school chief, said it would be acceptable under Islam to take off the head covering for safety reasons--but she planned to keep hers on. “Some of us feel strongly that we are Muslims and we are proud and we have nothing to do with this mess,” Ozgur said.

Islamic New Horizon schools also closed in Los Angeles, and it was unclear whether they would reopen today. Leaders of the Orange Crescent School decided to reopen today with four security guards, twice the usual number.

“We have an obligation and a duty to the kids,” said Asif Hussaini, president of the school board. “We’ll beef up security, but the bottom line is, if someone is determined to harm people, you can get across any kind of security.”

In Orange County, the annual Arab American Festival in Garden Grove, which had expected to draw 30,000 people, was canceled.

And at the home of Saraah Mohamed, a 34-year-old Garden Grove accountant, the threatening phone calls began coming at 6:15 a.m., rousting her from sleep. “I’m going to come over there and show you what needs to be done to you people,” one caller said.

*

Times staff writers Karen Robinson-Jacobs, Daniel Yi, Jeff Gottlieb, Solomon Moore and Bill Lobdell contributed to this story.