Religious leaders encourage goodwill toward all innocents
We are appalled and saddened by the events of September 11 as all people of good will are. We pray, each in our own way, for all those affected in any way by this tragedy. We pray for wise and discerning leadership in our own country and in others.
In the wake of this act of hatred, we are particularly sensitive to and concerned about those among us in the Princeton community who, merely because they are Palestinian or Muslim or Arabic, may feel ostracized in any way or fearful of anger and hatred directed at them. We encourage everyone to reach out to one another in a spirit of peace, tolerance and goodwill.
While our country has a noble history, it is blemished by episodes — such as the internment of innocent Japanese Americans during World War II — that should instruct Americans in their responses at times like these. We pray that all Americans will rise above intolerance and the scapegoating of innocent people. To do otherwise would be to turn our backs on all that is best about America and its liberties. Rabbi James Diamond Rabbi David Leipziger The Rev. Mark Orten, Presbyterian Chaplain The Rev. Stephen L. White, Episcopal Chaplain Jessie Washington, Unitarian Universalist Campus Ministry Coordinator
Terrorism runs contrary to a more universal morality
Although I wear a turban and have a beard, I am not an Arab American, nor am I a Muslim. I am a Sikh, a follower of Sikhism, a religion founded in northern India about 500 years ago.
Most people who wear turbans in the United States are actually Sikhs like myself and have become the targets of both physical and verbal harassment.
Although it is not surprising that people are mistaking Sikhs for Arabs or Muslims, it's incredible that people are exacting their revenge on innocent Americans, only redoubling the terrorists' efforts to hurt as many innocent people as possible.
As we try to understand this disaster and wait for the authorities to find those truly responsible, we must realize that no religion —Islam, Christianity, Sikhism or otherwise — would condone such a horrific act. Savraj Singh Dhanjal '03
Attacks bring into question the ideals of our country
Though I am shocked and saddened by the recent terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and on the Pentagon, I am disappointed with the low level of introspection both within the government and the news media. As I sat glued to the television during the past three days, seeking I don't know what, I listened to the statements of our government officials with a more open mind than usual. What did I hear? As Secretary of State Colin Powell underlined the importance of returning to normalcy, Mayor Rudolph Guiliani urged the people of New York to "eat at restaurants" and "go shopping."
With thousands of dead and many more grieving, our leadership tells us to go shopping. The government mandate to consume, to return to normalcy, reflects a broader vacuum within the spirit of the country. The news media has placed an inordinate amount of emphasis on the interruption that this event will cause for consumers and businesspeople. In addition, the viewing public is informed importantly of the various celebrities included in the casualties. I am sickened by the triviality spouted over an event as horrible as this.
If the media and government will not, I ask the students, teachers and concerned members of this community to seek not a return to normalcy, but to dig deep into the causes of such a tragedy. Seek not only those who committed this horrendous act, but try to imagine the genesis of their hatred. Can any blame be placed on the actions of this country? Does the World Trade Center represent a system of economic oppression that deprives the world's poor of liberty? Are the military forces of the Pentagon being used in the service of injustice?
Although I do not have the answers to these questions, I know that they must be asked at times such as these. The soul searching and national unity created by the power of the recent events cannot be wasted on a return to trivia. This moment must be used to transform our understanding of the United States' role in the global community. Mike Long '02
Reaction to attacks should be one of peace and not hatred
I am a tired American today. Tired of hearing "inescapable conclusions" and that we must "exact retribution." Tired of hearing how we can "emerge triumphant" by striking back in further acts of terrible violence. Tired of the anger in which we wallow, where clear-headedness might buoy us up. Tired of our unwillingness to understand the "why" behind such tragedies as Tuesday's events. How far are we willing to go in the misguided path of revenge? How many more times must we submit to hatred and thereby perpetuate violence that does not grow worse by mere coincidence?
The only inescapable conclusion after this historic tragedy is that many people will have died in vain if we respond to this injustice with violence. We cannot and must not. To do so would be to continue playing a game that we can never and will never win. To demonstrate that we are no better than the perpetrators of this horrific event, except that we are capable of far greater, more calculated swathes of destruction. We cannot guarantee our safety until we finally understand why others would lash out in this way and help provide them an alternative to doing so in the future. If we must punish, then we must not do so with violence or without understanding. I am a tired American today, yet I will be damned before I spend my remaining energy standing "united" in the solidarity of further violence. I love this country, but I do not love it enough that I am willing to hate for it. Brian Kent Cornell University '95
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