Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "Voices That Must Be Heard" Articles Description An account of the resource The Independent Press Association (IPA) translates articles from the ethnic press (when necessary) and distributes them via web and fax newsletter to mainstream and ethnic press, government offices, nonprofits, and interested individuals. Voices That Must be Heard was designed by the Independent Press Association staff in New York City in response to the horrifying events of September 11. After Sept. 11th, Voices focused on the South Asian, Arab and Middle Eastern communities in New York. Since February 2002, the project has expanded, selecting articles from the broad range of ethnic and community newspapers throughout the city. Here, the Archive has preserved the Voices collection from its inception until November 2002. VTMBH Article VTMBH Article: Edition 2 VTMBH Article: Article Order 2 VTMBH Article: Title The Other Victims of WTC VTMBH Article: Author Rameen J. Moshref VTMBH Article: Publication Afghan Communicator VTMBH Article: Original Language English VTMBH Article: Translator VTMBH Article: Section edits VTMBH Article: Blurb Many people do not realize how badly the tragedy of Sept. 11 affected Afghan-Americans. Silence will not heal our wounds. It shows no solidarity. VTMBH Article: Keywords VTMBH Article: Body Many people do not realize how badly the tragedy of Sept. 11 affected Afghan-Americans. After losing almost two million people in 25 years of Soviet occupation and civil wars, our hearts bleed again for the loss of nearly 4,000 innocent lives in New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. Afghan-Americans and Muslim-Americans are so fearful of being targeted by racial profiling and hate crimes, they have become virtual prisoners in their own homes. My family urged me to keep a low profile and not speak out. But how can I stay silent when so many innocent lives have been lost?! What differentiates me from all of those brave rescue workers, volunteers, and activists who are free to speak their minds? Silence will not heal our wounds. It shows no solidarity. Those terrorists must know that their evil acts cannot divide America by race, culture or creed. We can not let them win! Here at the Afghan Communicator, we have made every attempt to ensure that our voices are heard. We gathered young people from our community and wrote a statement that condemned the terrorist attacks. We participated in rallies and demanded justice. We joined teach-ins to better educate people about Islam and the current situation in Afghanistan. We fear that a war with Afghanistan will cost lives those of innocent civilians and brave American soldiers. Terrorism must be rooted out, but carpet-bombing is not the answer. There is nothing to bomb in Afghanistan but half-starved civilians. Terrorists have already cowardly retreated to their well-stocked mountain caves. With neighboring countries closing their borders with Afghanistan, the civilians are trapped with nothing but grass to eat for nourishment. Afghanistan is mostly controlled by the Taliban, a zealot militia group that seized power in 1994, with Pakistans help. They are not a representative government and are mostly despised by the civilians they have pushed into poverty and fear. The Taliban draw support from over-zealous religious schools populated by boys who have been brainwashed by a fanatic derivation of Islam. Osama Bin Ladin and his al-Qaida terrorist network have been operating out of remote parts of Afghanistan with little restrictions by the Taliban. He is not a fugitive under the protection of the Taliban, as is widely believed. Bin Ladin has his own supply route, training camps and troops both inside Afghanistan and around the world. Meanwhile, Afghan-Americans and Muslim-Americans have to prove their loyalty to this nation. If we say we are against the war, we are seen as siding with the terrorists or being unpatriotic. Our accents, skin color and creed cause many to question our good will, our concern for our country, and our patriotism. Didn't we become Americans with full rights and privileges when we were naturalized? Does patriotism mean supporting the mass killing of innocent people, just because they happen to be in the same country that houses a network of terrorists? Will spilling innocent civilian blood avenge those innocent lives lost in the World Trade Centers? Will their martyred souls rest in peace afterward? Isnt it more patriotic to try to prevent American hands from being stained with innocent blood? America is our country too, and we swore allegiance to stand by it. Afghan-Americans and Muslim-Americans still honor this allegiance! We ask to be given a fair chance to serve America. VTMBH Article: Line Breaks 1 VTMBH Article: Date 2001-12-30 VTMBH Article: Thumb VTMBH Article: Article File VTMBH Article: Hit Count 100 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Other Victims of WTC 911DA Item Elements describing a September 11 Digital Archive item. Status The process status of this item. approved Consent Whether September 11 Digital Archive has permission to possess this item. unknown Posting Whether the contributor gave permission to post this item. yes Copyright Whether the contributor holds copyright to this item. yes Source The source of this item. born-digital Media Type The media type of this item. article Original Name The original name of this item. Many people do not realize how badly the tragedy of Sept. 11 affected Afghan-Americans. Silence will Created by Author Whether the author created this item. yes Described by Author Whether the description of this item was submitted by the author. no Date Entered The date this item was entered into the archive. 2001-12-30