The televised images of Palestinans dancing in the streets following last week’s terrorist attack on the United States provoked a visceral reaction in Bashir Anastas — as it may have done for many viewers. But the Palestinian-American activist saw the celebrations not as gloating but as a cry for help from a downtrodden people.
“I hope Americans see these acts for what they mean. They are acts of despair. They are a plea for help,” said Anastas at a San Francisco peace and mourning vigil held at the intersection of Market and California streets last Wednesday night, one day after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
“It is a life of terror day in and day out when you’re being bombed by F-16 fighter jets. This is a plea to help them. We must resist the racist tiger that resides in each of us.”
Anastas, a member of the Alliance for Justice in the Middle East, one of many co-sponsors of the vigil, chided the American media and the Fox Broadcasting Company in particular for repeatedly showing the video of “the same dozen kids and an old woman in a scarf” rejoicing. His indictment of the televising of Palestinian celebrations elicited hearty cheers from the mostly somber and reserved candle-bearing crowd of about 300.
Vigil attendees waved signs with slogans such as, “Arab-Americans are Americans,” “No Collective Punishment,” and “Another Jew Against Anti-Arab Racism.”
Questioned after his speech, Anastas said he understated the numbers, but insisted it did not alter his major point.
“Maybe I exaggerated the number of kids. Maybe it was not a dozen but hundreds or thousands,” said the Bethlehem-born Hayward resident. “But the 150 million in the Arab world should not be colored by this.”
While others at the vigil –sponsored by A Jewish Voice for Peace and several other Bay Area Jewish organizations and Jewish-Palestinian dialogue groups — did not address sticking points so directly, the diverse group of speakers all expressed shock and horror at the attacks and urged Americans to avoid scapegoating Muslims and Arab-Americans.
“This must become a learning experience,” said speaker Alan Solomonow of the American Friends Service Committee, “not a prompt to fall back on old slogans and simple solutions of more and more violence.”
Said Israeli peace activist Dudy Tzfati, “What to say? All of us are in shock for the future of society. On this dark day we need all of our strength to…oppose collective demonization.”
Vigil attendees echoed the speakers’ calls for collective healing through peaceful means.
“I’m Jewish and part of A Jewish Voice for Peace, and I’m concerned about what comes next,” said Jim Haber of San Francisco. “My worst fear is a worsening of civilian rights in the U.S. and the world. I don’t agree with people being outraged by the attack on the U.S. and not by atrocities carried out by the U.S.”
Ali Alyami, a Kensington resident who emigrated from Saudi Arabia three decades ago, said he is worried by the possibility of a backlash against Arab-Americans.
“There are many reactions of people under stress, and one of them is to look for a scapegoat. It’s a reality of life and we have to deal with it,” he said. “We have to be bigger than this cheap way of getting at people who have nothing to do with the event.”
Elias Botto, a member of the San Mateo Living Room Dialogue Group, said last week’s attacks allow Americans to know what it is like to be an Israeli — or a Palestinian.
“If we want to solve the problem, there is no way to look at it other than from the side of equality. We will help the Palestinians if we care about the Israelis. We will help the Israelis if we care about the Palestinians,” said Botto, a Palestinian Catholic.
“They live in the Holy Land, and it is the Holy Land for Jews, Christians and Muslims, all of us. We all talk to the same God. Religion is a means to achieve oneness with God, whatever means you use for it. The Holy Land does not belong to any one religion. We all belong to it.”