Chicago after racist attacks
Human chain defends mosque
By Lou Paulsen
Chicago
Progressives in the Chicago area are discussing better ways
to come to the defense of Arab, Muslim and other Asian peoples
who face a continuing wave of racist attacks.
On two successive nights following the Sept. 11 disaster,
hundreds of racist white youths, waving American flags,
gathered in the southwest suburb of Oak Lawn and marched toward
a mosque in nearby Bridgeview.
Police in riot gear held back the racists, but shut down
access to the Arab community near the mosque, forcing people to
show identification to enter and leave. In talking with media,
the police referred to the mob as "showing their
patriotism."
Other assaults on people and property have taken place all
over the Chicago area. A south Asian gas station attendant was
assaulted twice in one day, the second time by a man with a
machete. A gasoline bomb was thrown into an Arab community
center, fortunately doing no damage, and gunshots were fired
into a shop in Gary. A cab driver was beaten by two men, and a
mosque in Chicago was vandalized.
As of Saturday police had reported a dozen attacks serious
enough to be called "hate crimes." There have been more since,
and other assaults may not have been reported to the police.
And verbal harassment is even more common.
Many Muslim women have been afraid to leave their homes in
traditional dress, and it was estimated by a Sun-Times reporter
that one third of the city's Muslim cabdrivers have been
staying off the job.
A young man told a Workers World Party meeting, "My
girlfriend's brother broke up one attack. A racist had dragged
a guy out of a convenience store and was beating him up in the
parking lot."
Workers oppose racist attacks
The vast majority of the working people are clearly opposed
to this sort of racist attack. Religious leaders and community
leaders have participated in vigils and interfaith services
with Muslims, and government officials have so far denounced
them and have promised arrests and prosecutions.
On Friday, over 100 people, organized by the Southwest
Organizing Project and the Southwest Youth Collaborative,
formed a human chain of solidarity around the Al-Salaam Mosque
on 63rd street at Homan. This will take place every week during
the Friday midday prayer service.
One paper reported that "Protestants and Catholics, whites,
blacks and Hispanics carried signs with the Muslim greeting,
Peace be upon you, Assalam Alaikum, and Christians, Jews and
others support our Muslim and Arab brothers and sisters.
But progressives in Chicago realize that more has to be
done. Workers have to make it clear that they won't just "call
the police," but will personally come to the defense of the
targets of racist attacks and assaults.
And, as an Arab American organizer pointed out, "Right now
it's been private people doing these attacks. But pretty soon,
it'll be the government. They'll attack individuals and
organizations, or sweep through the neighborhood arresting
people. That's when we'll need even more support."
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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