Elizabeth Lorente
Bergen Record (New Jersey)
Staff Writer
At marches to protest the war against Iraq, and rallies to condemn the post-Sept. 11 arrests of Arab and Muslim males, one thing always strikes Mino Akhtar: the virtual absence of Arabs and Muslims.
“There’s fear in the Arab community,” said Akhtar, a Pakistani-American who is a fixture at the rallies. “What I hear Arabs and Muslims saying is, ‘Let’s keep a low profile. Don’t step out there. We need to stay quiet and let this blow over.'”
Indeed, while most U.S. Arabs and Muslims oppose the war, according to leading Arab organizations and community leaders in the United States, few have been willing to express their feelings publicly.
