In wake of attacks, Penn Arab group works hard to curb misconceptions

After the Sept. 11 tragedies, the Penn Arab Student Society went to action, disseminating accurate information about the Arab culture.

"As an Arab-American in the [United States], you can't hide," said College junior Yasmine El-Shamayleh, a PASS board member. "Right now, it's all about educating people."

Other PASS members reinforced this mission.

"Our goals for this organization are to share our culture and our heritage and, sometimes, our politics, with the Penn community," said School of Arts and Sciences graduate student Amel Ahmed, the PASS graduate president. "It's also our attempt to show that we still want to be active on this campus despite the tragedies."

To further its message, PASS kicked off its annual Arab Awareness Week last Monday with a vigil on College Green to commemorate the Aqsa Intifada -- the events occurring between Israel and Palestinians during the past year.

"Our vigil was all about peace," El-Shaymayleh said. "It wasn't about who is losing lives, but about all the lives that were lost. Six hundred ninety-six Palestinians and 169 Israelis have died in the last year. We made blue doves for every Israeli, red for every Palestinian in the memory of their lives."

Wharton freshman Bradley Pennington sympathized with the PASS cause.

"A lot of people in the States are panicking because we've lost a lot of people from our country and yet lots of Palestinians and Israelis are fighting for their lives daily," he said.

Arab Awareness Week culminated with a reception for all Penn students.

"I wish I saw more non-Arab faces here," Pennington said. "This may be an unpopular time, but it's the time most necessary to learn about the culture you're singling out."

Additionally, attendees discussed the recent anti-Arab incidents that have transpired since last month's terrorist attacks.

"A few people shouted at me in Center City telling me to go home and that I'm a terrorist," said Asad Naqvi, a post-doctoral student in the Physics Department.

Even the PASS peace vigil was not without incident.

"A guy came up and tore up our handouts and threw the pieces at us," El-Shaymayleh said. "But to say that was the worst that happened, that is pretty good."

Overall, organizers said that the University has been very encouraging, with support from the administration, Hillel, the Greenfield Intercultural Center and the United Minorities Council.

"People have been saying, `Thank you for doing this. We need to be educated,'" El-Shaymayleh said. "Finally, they want to hear our side of our story and it's great."

PASS also sponsored a series of lunchtime movies at the Graduate Student Center on Locust Walk.

"The documentary I saw was about the negative media images of Arabs," Naqvi said. "People seemed to agree with the movie."

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