The Plight and the Might of People in the USA

By María Suárez Toro, FIRE

They recognize the people in their country as a powerful force that can contribute to bring about peace in the USA and in the world. And they know that that is precisely what people in the rest of the world expect of them. The women and girl interviewed by FIRE this past September 15 during the Arab-American march in Brooklyn Heights came form all backgrounds, yet they had a common agenda: USA is great and it should use its might to create peace, bring those responsible of the crimes to justice and rebuild multicultural respectful multicultural relationships worldwide and at home.

"I am Sila Illy and I live in Brooklyn. I am proud to be an American. This is a very powerful nation and we are strong enough to figure this out without resorting to war, without more death, without killing more innocent people who have nothing to do with this conflict. I am Jewish so I know what it means to be blamed without fault. We can resolve this conflict we have by thinking about ourselves, but also about the rest of the world. By keeping all human beings at the center, human beings in our hearts as the first priority. My country has all the resources of the world to follow suit at those responsible, we can do better than that. Creating more war will only bring back more violence."

Sila was in New York during the tragedy, and that is precisely why she claims for a peaceful solution. "At 9:03 am I came out of the subway barley 5 blocks north of the Trade World Center. I was stunned to see the first fire. I stood there, watching the whole thing unfold. I saw people jump out of the building. I saw them waving, falling, finally disappear in between the buildings. I will never forget those lives. I will cherish them forever. I want to remember them as I saw them, alive. I do not want revenge. I am here in this march for peace because we can do better with our pain and hurt."

Michelle Greenberg has a sense that most people do not want more violence to stem out of what has happened. "If we do not believe in terrorism, how can we believe in more war? The USA could be a model to the rest of the world about peace if we did not have the government policy that we have right now. We should change that policy. People want to know more about other peoples, not be so isolated. This tragedy can connect us to the rest of the world instead of polarizing us more. "

Sunita Meta thinks and feels very much like Sila. She is member of the board of one of two of the three organizations that convened the march, Saki for South Asian Women and Women for Afgan Women in the USA. "We have made a statement that says that our migrant communities, be it Muslim, Hindi, Arab, etc. stand united with America and with the world, for peace. That is why we are here. We do not want war or backlash against our people. The tragedy that has just occurred is the tragedy of all people. We, as a people cannot bear the burden. Our culture is not to blame, or our religions. That was not a crime based on religion."

Latin American USA citizen, Lisette Chang, originally from the Dominican Republic, carried a sign that said the following: "Patriotism, not racism, condemn patriotic racism." She believes that both cannot go together because America stands for better ideal than that. "They are not the criminals. The criminals are a small group of extremists, and you can find them in practically every country. That is why we have to join forces with other peoples to eradicate it. Now we are part of the world. Terrorism has also been globalized. We were shielded, but no more. This is what people in other parts of the world have lived with, and it is not fair for them or for us."

Jamaican descendant Sonia Wilson came to give her support to the families of the people whose lives were lost. Brooklyn Promenade, were the march stopped, is also a site for vigils, candles and flowers for the victims, because one can see the empty place of the Twin Towers, the smoke still steaming from it and the families weeping. "I am also here against racism because the Muslim community is being harassed. Just now someone passed by and called some young Arab marchers, terrorists. That is why I am here, because we have to stop that and stop the war. As a person if African heritage I know what it is like to be targeted and I will not allow it. We are a global community and we better realize it."

Stacey Johnson is African American. She went to the march because she believes that Arab Americans cannot be blamed. "I do not believe in racism. I have been energized in this march, because people are here out of love and hope, calm and serenity. Arab Americans need our protection because they are being harassed and it is horrible. Some people are going crazy. I am tired but I wanted to be a part of this community today." Stacey is a teacher in California. She thinks this experience is telling her that changes have to take place in the schools curriculums so that the children can learn about the world and each other in diversity. "The children that are in this march are being taught compassion, solidarity and understanding by the parents that bring them, because they will rarely get that in school. We know so little about what is happening in the rest of the world!"

Madelaine Bergier is 11 years old. "I feel very strongly about what happened. I am here to contribute so that everyone here stays strong. When we light candles and the like, we become stronger in peace out of the sorrow of the loss." Asked about what needed to be done to really go to the roots of this she stated that "to stop it we have to make peace with everyone all over, instead of doing something bad and turning this into a bigger mess. All of what has happened is a part of history. I hope we can be remembered, like the ones who died, for the good thing we made of it. "

FIRE gave her the microphone and asked her if she wanted to interview adults. "Yes!" She turned to her family. "Dad, now do you feel?"

Maybe we all have to ask each other and ourselves that question, before asking or responding any further issues. Perhaps that will take us to the basics: the bible: "do not do unto others what you do not want to be done to you"; Gandhi: "an eye for an eye only leads to blindness"; and a poster in Brooklyn Heights: "history will only be ours if we take our active part to make this a better world for all."