Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Ignorance that kills

Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 | 8:46 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

AFTER SEVEN DECADES of watching people under stress strike out at others and then later apologizing, recent happenings have surprised me. We, as Americans, have taught in our homes, schools and churches the foolishness of past acts against people just because they look different than us. Our ugly treatment of Japanese-Americans during World War II has left marks on our nation's soul that are still healing.

Judging fellow Americans by what they wear, the color of their skin, or where they pray has long been recognized by educated citizens as being morally wrong and an outward sign of ignorance. When I first heard that some representatives of Arab-Americans were worried about being unfairly targeted following the recent acts of terrorism killing thousands of Americans, I shrugged off their concerns. Certainly, I thought, there is no good reason to even fear we haven't progressed enough as a society to not repeat past mistakes of gross ignorance.

I was wrong, because some of our fellow citizens haven't broken the chains of ignorance. Among many acts of hate was the shooting death of an Arizona man who is "dark skinned and wore a turban." The victim, a Sikh and not a Muslim, was a target of both hate and ignorance. It would have made little, if any, difference because the killer was blinded with hate and was going to kill some person he believed looked like his version of an Arab and/or Muslim. Some innocent American with dark skin and dressed differently was going to die.

So who are these Arabs? My family doctor, the late Elias Ghanem, and his family come to mind. There has never been a more dedicated physician and loyal American who cared for all who came to him for help.

Then my granddaughter's close friend in high school and college enter my thoughts. When she hurts from unkind remarks so does my granddaughter. Their relationship reminds me of a college classmate of mine who came to study agricultural engineering here in the West. I still have the Koran that Abdul gave me before we graduated and he returned to the Middle East.

More than 10 years have passed since I bummed a ride across northern Iraq with the crew of an armed Blackhawk helicopter. The crew and pilot were all U.S. Army with the exception of one who was a U.S. Marine corporal. He was invaluable as he used the Arabic learned from his parents at home in California and then later polished up in a military language school.

No, all of the good Arabs and Muslims aren't in the U.S. My experience of attending Catholic Mass, said in Arabic, with Arab friends and having Sunday dinner with them in Nazareth; drinking tea in a Bedouin tent; or spending an afternoon with a large Druse family are some of my many good memories.

One of many special people in Southern Nevada is a Muslim woman who has spent 24 years at UNLV. Dr. Nasim Dil is a highly respected educator of students planning to teach our children. Dil's national stature in the field of early childhood education for the handicapped has been a plus for the university. Even more important have been the quality of students she has sent into the field to work.

I'm not much for Christmas parties, but Dil and her graduate students put on a party for children and parents in 1986 that will never be forgotten by me. The good doctor and her graduate students touched the soul of every child and parent. That was 15 years ago and today this outstanding woman from Pakistan continues to make this a better world for the children of our community, state and nation.

There's no good reason for my Arab friends, both Muslim and Christian, or any other American to cringe in fear because of the emotions released after the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon. I refuse to feel guilty over the acts of Irish Republican Army terrorists who have killed innocent people with their bombs. Nor should our fellow Americans of Irish heritage holding Protestant beliefs be blamed for the bloody terror spread by their denominations in Belfast.

Personally, I had come to believe a column with this message wouldn't be necessary in the year 2001. Again a few ignorant bigots had to step forth and spoil my belief in humanity. Thank heavens the good people of this world far outnumber those who kill and intimidate the innocent.