The Islamic Community of Southwest Florida. "Certainly we do not wish them to be harassed," Agin said. "They live in a free country, and no one should be harassing them on any level."

In addition, local law enforcement leaders are taking a strong stand against the vandalism, threats or any other crimes committed. "It's not going to be tolerated," said Charlotte County Sheriff's Maj. John Davenport. Davenport referred to the vandalism and threats against members of the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida as terrorism. ì I believe it is terrorism," he said.

And this isn't the first time the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida has been terrorized. A week after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, someone set fire to the sign outside the mosque. Due to this week's threatening messages some worshippers are nervous about attending early morning and late night services at the mosque, Hammami said. Many Muslims came to America so they could practice their religion freely -- and safely, said member Samar Jarrah. "Now I have to look over my shoulder," she said.

Hammami is recommending that worshippers attend services -- especially the early morning and night ones -- in groups. Anyone going to the mosque, traveling in the area or living in the neighborhood is asked to call the Sheriff's Office if anything suspicious or out of the ordinary is noticed near the Harborview Road center.

4/26/2004
Letters to the Editor
by a Local Resident

Looking beyond our borders to illuminate the world

Here in Englewood, where our world is bounded by Lemon Bay, Charlotte Harbor and the Myakka River, the world is seldom with us. In our insular community, we often lose sight of the larger issues that spin our globe, except when war or tragedy bring home the fact that we are interconnected. But why wait until things go wrong to learn of the larger world? Why not invest the time and energy to learn of people and places beyond our shores?

It's fortunate that a group of Englewood residents took advantage recently of an opportunity to do just that. In an eloquent article, Sun writer Grace Gilbert recently described an eye-opening lecture about the Middle East delivered by Samar Jarrah, a local professor and scholar. These days, as we see televised images of angry Iraqis with masked faces waving weapons and cursing our country, it's understandable that our first reaction would be rage. Who are these people to curse our nation, harm our troops and defile our flag? But, as Jarrah pointed out, there's a lot of history one must understand before jumping to conclusions about right and wrong in this complicated world.

At the forum, sponsored by the Englewood Peace Initiative Coalition, Jarrah was equally fair in laying blame. She spoke of the centuries of enmity between the Christian and Muslim world, and noted that Arab leaders, through short-sighted policies of self-aggrandizement, had brought misery to their own people. Prior to the tragic events of 9/11, Jarrah and her fellow Arabs and Muslims had been largely silent, fearing the reaction by Christians to their assuming a larger role in public affairs.

But since the horrific events of that day, Muslims have had the courage to speak out, not to criticize our nation but rather to explain their religion and way of life to many who have been ignorant of how a very large part of the world lives. No, one lecture cannot bring peace. But a willingness to look beyond our own world, and the courage of people like Jarrah to share an alien experience with us, can help bridge the gap of ignorance that all too often leads to the tragedy of war.

4/16/2004
Middle East 101 at public forum
by GRACE GILBERT
ENGLEWOOD -- Old friends greeted each other and an American flag stood behind the podium where Samar Jarrah spoke to the Englewood Peace Initiative Coalition at the Elsie Quirk Library Thursday afternoon. An American citizen born in Kuwait, Jarrah had been invited by EPIC to give an update on the situation in the Middle East, but first had to address her diverse audience as a professor teaching an introductory course.

After living in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Jarrah earned a bachelor's degree at the American University in Egypt and a master's degree from the University of South Florida, is Islamic by faith and a former Fulbright scholar. "I am not a Democrat or Republican or Independent or anything," she said as she launched into a background summary of historical events in the Arab-speaking world.
Jarrah emphasized the region has a proud history dating back 6,000 years that naturally rejects having "newcomers" come to tell them how to behave and what to believe in. A tribal society formed to counter harsh climate and few resources was based on absolute honor of a man's word in business, politics and families. Jarrah noted that invasions from Christian countries dating back to the Crusades are not forgotten, nor the region's more recent bad experiences with Italian, English, French and German colonization efforts.

Even more destructive were attempts to change local language and customs, changing the natural order of country developments. When describing the current situation in Iraq and neighboring countries, Jarrah observed that no Arab leaders, no matter how benevolent they appear, were elected, and none would be kept in office for a single hour if their countrymen were given a vote. She projected that one way to solve problems in the region would be for all current leaders to leave office. A grassroots government by the people could be the the most viable solution, she said, "even if it takes 100 years."

"Mister President, get out of Iraq," she urged. "Children need to go through adolescence just before they are independent. There is no civil war and it's not a U.S. responsibility. These people need to evolve and learn by themselves. It's not perfect, but it's better to pull out the (U.S.) troops before more of the world hates us more."

"I'd say everybody was impressed, pleased with her talk and better informed now," said Pat Lechaton.

"After I listened to her a few minutes at one of her courses, my less-than-open mind was opened." Jarrah has been an editor and reporter in press and television news in Jordan, is considered an expert on Middle East issues and is currently teaching "Advanced Arabic World" at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County in Port Charlotte.

2/16/2004
Classes reflect national trend
by GINGER ASSADI
Students take interest in the Middle East
Donald Fialka encourages his fellow Americans to "take the blinders off." Fialka, a Venice resident, spoke up during a recent class on Islam offered at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County. He and the students who turned out for the six-week course taught by Ahmed N. Elrefai, Ph.D., are representative of a national trend in education.

America's involvement in the Middle East -- whether military, economic or political -- has led many people like Fialka to want to learn more about the region and its people. Universities across the country are adding more Middle East studies classes. In this area, courses about the Middle East and Islam are being offered at the Cultural Center and Edison Community College.

Elrefai and Samar Jarrah are both offering classes beginning in March at the Cultural Center. His focuses on religion and hers deals with politics and history. Hassan Hammami is finishing up his lecture series at Edison Community College. Fort Ogden resident Peter Barker said he had traveled extensively in North Africa and Afghanistan and spent much of his time speaking with Muslims and Arabs.

This is the first time he has studied Islam in a formal manner. Barker said Elrefai taught the class about Islam through example; he provided text-books for the class free of charge because giving part of one's income or goods to others, especially those in need, is one of the pillars of his faith. Barker was quick to point out that Elrefai wasn't seeking converts. "The point (of the class) was to explain someone else's faith, which is difficult to do and stay on track. His sincerity really comes across," Barker said.
Englewood resident Pat Lechaton said she signed up for the class to better understand the current military action in Iraq. "The news made it sound like we were right and justified in taking action," she said. But, as a member of the Englewood Peace Coalition, Lechaton wasn't satisfied with the explanations she found on the evening news or in the morning paper, so she signed up for Elrefai's class. This deeper understanding is something Samar Jarrah's students seek, she said. She has been offering classes about the Arab world for 13 years. She said her classes have grown since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"I start my class asking why they're here," Jarrah said. "Almost 99 percent say they don't think media coverage is sufficient to explain what's going on. Or, they say the media is biased and they question why no one is critical." Jarrah said she has to work hard to find a balance for her students -- some are well-read in history and current events, while others come in with little knowledge of geography or a even a basic understanding of the Arabic culture.

In her class, Jarrah covers a wide variety of topics -- history, cultures of the Middle East, Islam, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Gulf War, terrorism and the war in Iraq. She said she tries to show the historical reasons for current foreign policy. "It doesn't come haphazardly," she said.

Hammami's class covers a wide variety of topics, but some of his teaching goes on outside the classroom. Once a semester he invites his class for a Middle Eastern meal at Mr. Submarine in Port Charlotte. Not only do the students get a taste of Middle Eastern food, but they have an opportunity to talk with the restaurant's Palestinian-American owners. The classes in our area reflect the nationwide academic interest in the Middle East.

The demand for Arabic language and Middle East-related courses prompted Florida State University's board of trustees to approve the creation of a bachelor's degree in Middle East Studies. Zeina Schlenoff, Ph.D., said the program is interdisciplinary and will include courses in language, culture, history, archaeology and politics, amongst others. Schlenoff has taught Arabic language courses at FSU for six years. She said the demand has almost tripled in the past two to three years. "I never had to turn students away before," she said.

She attributes the interest in part to recent world events. "After Sept. 11, many Americans realized they knew very little about the Middle East," Schlenoff said. She said there is a real demand for speakers of Arabic, such as for military interpreting, international business and peace negotiations./16/2004

Letters to the Editor
Article was greatóEditor,
Bravo! A dynamite article by Samar Jarrah. Thank you for publishing it, and for once again exhibiting moral courage and the truest principles of even-handed, unbiased and professional journalism, in allowing a broad spectrum of views to be aired. The facts in the article cannot be disputed, and there will be many positive comments, but the publishing of these facts might be unpalatable to some, and I cannot wait for the "fallout"!
S. C., Punta Gorda, FL

11/17/2003--
Letters to the Editor
Editor,
On Nov. 5, Samar Jarrah responded to an article by Zed Chafets published in the Sun on Oct. 31. It is not clear to me that her objection is the defamation of Islam or spending American tax dollars and losing American soldiers in Iraq or the tremendous profit that Halliburton and its ex-officio Mr. Cheney is making. There is no question that under Islamic doctrine, many Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq, Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia justify unlimited brutality and depressive societies.

I did not note any reference to the final goal of U.S. involvement in Iraq by creating a free society and improving their way of life. What is wrong if the entire world body put aside their political interests in an effort to remove tyrannical governments of countries like Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia? Islam is a respectful religion, yet under the pretext of the Islamic governments, there are tremendous human rights violations.

Samar Jarrah and all other educated Arab people who live in our American democratic system should focus more energy to dismantle these oppressive governments. Then those people have an opportunity to live in a free society as Ms. Jarrah does. Criticizing people who express the existing facts regardless of their religious affiliation or previous profession is not the answer.

M. T., Punta Gorda, FL
10/12/2003
Community Calendar
Charlotte Community Calendar
Bike ride fund-raiser for the Genesis Center, 8 a.m. from the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition's new site at 1476 Kenesaw St. in Murdock to the South Gulf Cove area. Fifty-mile ride led by Samar Jarrah and Scott Buchanan. Proceeds will benefit the coalition, whose old building was destroyed by fire in July.

8/22/2003
Local woman's cousin survives Baghdad blast
by MALCOLM BRENNER
The terrorist explosion that destroyed the United Nations headquarters in Iraq Tuesday was strongly felt in Charlotte County. "I woke up at 7:30 a.m. that day and immediately went to the Internet," said Samar Jarrah, a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian journalist and activist who lives in Port Charlotte. "The first thing I saw was there had been a huge explosion at the hotel housing the U.N. headquarters, and I knew she was staying there. I thought, 'Oh my God, she's in there!' "

Samar's fears were for her cousin, Nada al-Nashif, 35, the daughter of Jarrah's maternal aunt, Inam. Jarrah considers al-Nashif like a sister. The two women grew up together in Kuwait, a refuge for many upwardly mobile Palestinians before the 1990 Gulf War. "We did typical childhood things -- playing, swimming, going to the tennis club together, sleeping over at each others' houses. When my father passed away, al-Nashif's family took care of us for a week during that very difficult time," Jarrah recalled.
After al-Nashif earned a master's degree from Oxford University, "the U.N. grabbed her," Jarrah said. "She speaks English, Arabic and French fluently." Al-Nashif went to work for the U.N. Development Programme, which helps finance economic development in impoverished countries around the world.

Before long, al-Nashif was accepting overseas assignments for the Programme. She rose to deputy director for Africa and Middle East, a position that required frequent travel. The cousins kept in close touch, mainly through e-mail. "She has a good position, she's very well respected," Jarrah explained. "She's met (U.N. Secretary General) Kofi Annan and half the leaders of the world, but she never talked about her work. Not because she was secretive, but because we were always catching up with our friends, family and social life. It's not like she was hiding something, she just didn't want to brag."
Al-Nashif served in Libya and Lebanon before being seriously injured, just a few weeks ago, on a whirlwind, three-week trip through 21 African nations. "They were in a car, and from the bumpy ride a disk in her spine snapped suddenly," Jarrah recalled. "It was a very, very serious injury. She was airlifted to the U.N. headquarters in Lebanon, where she spent six weeks flat on her back."

Al-Nashif had just recovered from the injury when the U.N. headquarters where she worked was bombed Tuesday by a new terrorist group, the ''Armed Vanguards of a Second Mohammed Army.'' The huge car bomb destroyed the Canal Hotel and killed 23 U.N. workers, including the U.N.'s chief envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. "Sitting in front of the TV, you see all these bodies coming out," Jarrah recalled. "They said 12 men's and two women's bodies were recovered, and since there were very few women working there, we thought it was Nada. They never say that, but they'd rather not send the women to such hot-spot areas."

Then, al-Nashif's family in Jordan received an unexpected phone call from the Jordanian Minister of Planning. On Sky TV, an English news channel, he had glimpsed al-Nashif being lifted from the rubble, alive. "Until that moment, not Nada's mother or sister or any of us had talked to her," Jarrah said. "We had no idea if she was dead or alive." Al-Nashif's sister went to the Sky TV Web site (www.sky.com) and found a picture of al-Nashif there.

"When I went to the Web site to finally read names of those who died, my heart was pounding so hard that I didn't want to read the names," Jarrah said. "Then I said, 'Thank God,' but I felt bad because thanking God for saving Nada's life also meant 12 others had died. "I was extremely happy, happy for Nada's mom. It's an agony to lose a child in that way. Her mom managed to find out she had surgery on her shoulder" -- an injury that's visible in the photo.

There's no word on if, or when, al-Nashif might return to her post. But Jarrah, a pacifist, said the escalating violence in Iraq, Israel and elsewhere has only strengthened her convictions. "I'm very nonviolent, I believe in civil disobedience, but these two past days make me feel how true it is that one should never resort to violence or pre-emptive strikes or wars or suicide bombings to get a point across," said Jarrah, a Muslim.

Jarrah's been training for a 50-mile bike marathon to raise money for the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition. After getting the good news Tuesday, she went for a 40-mile ride with a Jewish friend. "He commented about the bombing in Jerusalem, I commented about my cousin," Jarrah mused. "I said to him, 'Maybe if people bike and get away from revenge and all these other things, we can get along like you and I get along.' "

6/17/2003
Peace group creates Duisberg award
by GERALD DUISBERG
The Rev. Fred Morris first recipient
The Reverend Fred Morris was presented with the first annual Peter and Annabelle Duisberg Peace and Non-Violence Award by the Southwest Florida Peace Coalition during a Forum on Preemptive Peace held June 10 at the Harry Sudakoff Hall on the University of South Florida campus in Sarasota.
Arab-American difficulties

Samar Jarrah, a Palestinian born in Kuwait who considers that she had the good fortune to wind up in this country and then become a citizen, also spoke at the June 10 forum. Speaking about the difficulties faced by Arab-Americans and Muslims at the present time, Jarrah lamented that the America she treasured is being taken away bit-by-bit by a fearful obsession with security, and wondered why there seems to be so little public outrage over that.

18/2003
Religious community responds to Bush's speech
by MALCOLM BRENNER
The reactions of Southwest Florida's religious community to President Bush's Monday night speech, giving Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein 48 hours to abdicate or face the use of force, divided cleanly along political lines. "I thought it was a good speech," said the Rev. Kenneth Hostetler, minister of Trinity United Methodist Church in Arcadia. "It didn't leave any doubt in the American mind as far as where we stand.

"I really feel, biblically, God has given nations the responsibility to administer justice and the church the responsibility to administer mercy and grace," Hostetler said. Bush has been "generous in mercy and grace to Saddam Hussein," he added. Hostetler said it was regrettable that Islam has been "hijacked."
"Extremists have taken their religious beliefs and twisted it to justify merciless killings, as with Christianity in the days of the Crusades," he said. "Historically, that was totally wrong."

To the Iraqi people, Bush said, "The day of your liberation is near." Samar Jarrah, a member of the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida in Port Charlotte, responded with concern.
"It may be liberation, but at what cost?" Jarrah asked. "Many people may see it that way, but it's difficult to have liberation with 3,000 bombs being dropped on you."

Jarrah's most immediate concern was for the safety of the local Muslim community. "There's been an unbelievable amount of misinformation about us, and pointing fingers as if we come from a different planet," Jarrah said. "Our concern is for us to be safe and for our mosque to be safe. We're also concerned about the men and boys in the army, the civilians and the rest of world." 1-29-2003

1/10/2003
Peace rally warns of Iraq war
by GAVIN OFF
ENGLEWOOD -- The turnout was light, but the discussion significant. In front of an audience of about 50 people, residents and community leaders voiced their concerns about a potential war with Iraq during a public forum Thursday at the Elsie Quirk Englewood Library. The antiwar crowd spoke about everything from horrors of previous wars and the economics of a war, to the human cost and the global reaction to it.

Key speaker Dan Crockrell of Englewood, a former pilot who spent much of his life living in Middle Eastern countries, said most of the Iraqi people, "99.9 percent of them," harbor no ill feelings toward the United States. But he said those innocent people would be the most affected by war. "The Arab and Muslim people are decent, decent people," Crockrell said. "I lived with them and my children played with their children. They are decent, law-abiding people."

Crockrell said the U.S. is only interested in controlling Iraq's oil supplies and governing the Middle East, an area that has largely avoided U.S. influence. He warned that an unprovoked attack on Iraq would lead to a backlash from all Muslim countries, citing Indonesia and the Philippines as primary participants. "The globalization fallout of this would be tremendous," Crockrell said. "There has got to be a better solution to this or we are all going to suffer."

Augi Schmitz, who helped coordinate last week's World Peace Day event, said the military budget reaches about $400 billion, or about 25 percent of the government's total spending. He said the economic cost of a war would decrease funds for medical services like Medicaid and Medicare. This is just one of the ways the war would hit Southwest Florida, he said. "If you think you're not going to be touched, you're talking to a stranger in the mirror," Schmitz said.

But the financial cost of a war is the least of the problems, said Don Gentile of Nokomis. While he questioned why all the money spent for war couldn't be spent on dialogue, Gentile said the greatest casualty of war would be human life, especially the lives of innocent Iraqi citizens. "The dollar amount is secondary," Gentile said. "Most of us want peace because we want peace."

A number of audience members said they're planning to attend peace rallies in Venice and Port Charlotte on Jan. 18. An anti-war crowd is scheduled to march on Washington, D.C., the same day. Samar Jarrah, member of the Peace River Peace Coalition, helped close the meeting, which was sponsored by the Florida Southwest Education Coalition, with the warning that U.S. citizens are directly accountable for the war. They have the ability to speak up and stop a potential conflict, she said. "Everyone of us is responsible for our government," Jarrah said. "Keep hoping, keep trying."

2/2003
Peace rally kicks off 2003
by GAVIN OFF
ENGLEWOOD -- "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind," said the Rev. Charles McKenzie. Testimonies of peace, songs of hope and words of forgiveness filled the chapel at the Englewood United Methodist Church on Wednesday as the church welcomed some 500 people of different faiths. Christian, Muslim and Baha'i speakers spoke of peace, mostly between the United States and Middle Eastern countries, kicking off Englewood's 13th annual Day of Prayer for World Peace.
Mario Spalatin and Jean Ranallo spoke about their mission to Croatia, where they toured villages devastated by four years of war, and the Rev. Arthur Lee told of previous wars ignited by religion. Some included the Crusades, the Inquisition and the Holocaust. Such wars, he said, must come to an end. "Without forgiveness, the past will repeat itself in the future over and over and over," Lee said. "If we choose to forgive, then we truly become sons and daughters of the God who brought us into being."
Samar Jarrah, member of the Peace River Peace Coalition, said she e-mailed friends in Iraq, asking them what they wanted her to tell her fellow Americans. They responded by saying that it would be their homes being destroyed and their family members getting killed if war breaks out, Jarrah said. "You are their only hope," Jarrah said. "Their lives are in your hands. Stand up for what is right."

The Rev. Fahed Abu Akel, the event's keynote speaker and moderator of the Presbyterian Church-USA, thanked the Englewood community for putting peace first. Fahed, who spent part of his childhood in a Palestinian refugee camp before becoming a Christian minister in the U.S., said the U.S. has the ability to control the world by military force or the ability to lead the world in the fights against hunger and AIDS. Which direction the United States chooses to head will determine much of the world's future, he said. "The policy of America in the 21st century is do we lead the world with the gun...or do we lead the world through peacekeeping and negotiation," Fahed asked. "America must change its policies." 10-22-2002
Interfaith Prayer Service, 7 p.m. at San Antonio Catholic Church, 24445 Rampart Blvd., Port Charlotte. Presenters: Rabbi Herbert Rose from Temple Shalom, Sister Sallie Latkovich from Rice School of Pastoral Ministry, and Samar Jarrah from Islamic Community of Southwest Florida. Open to the public. 624-6255.

6/21/2002
Forum looks at peace in Middle East
by CHRIS CURRY
ENGLEWOOD-- Hasan A. Hammami has a blueprint he thinks will bring peace to the Middle East. In a week that saw Palestinian suicide bombers strike Jerusalem on consecutive days and the reoccupation of the West Bank town of Ramallah by the Israeli military, Hammami mapped out his plan Thursday. He was one of four panel members to speak at the the Florida Southwest Peace Education Coalition's forum "Transforming the Root Causes of Terrorism: Forgiveness Heals," held at the Elsie Quirk Library.
The plan, as Hammami summarized it, calls for Israeli settlers to leave the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Palestinian refugees to return to the area. Then NATO troops would step in as peace keepers while the whole region is demilitarized. The next step, he said, would be to rebuild the region's infrastructure and create a state of Palestine that engages in free trade with neighboring Israel. "The solution to me is clear -- two separate states living equally side by side," he said.

Hammami is a Palestinian-born Punta Gorda resident and American citizen who is a member of the Islamic faith but attended Christian school while growing up in Palestine. His diverse background was shared by other panel members.

Panelist Samar Jarrah, a Palestinian-born resident of Port Charlotte, said the peaceful discussion by people of different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs was an example of what needed to happen to bring peace to the Middle East. "We are different in our color and belief system, but we are all one in our humanity ... to me the first step in forgiveness is recognizing the other, that the other is as human as myself," Jarrah said.

Brown said America for Peace Now and Peace Now in Israel also supported the establishment of a free and democratic Palestinian state. But, he said, given the current escalating violence in the region, these goals do not look attainable anytime soon. "As you all know the history, since 1980 this region has not produced peace," he said. "And at the present moment, we have to recognize, with sorrow, the chaotic situation there ... every day there are more bombings by both sides, killings by both sides and chaos reigns instead of moving forward toward peace." 5-21-2002

17/2002
Letters to the Editor
Thanks for running Samar Jarrah's column
Editor,
My thanks for Samar Jarrah's guest column "Did you ever ask, 'Why we do not like them?," in The Sun , May 5. She's a vital, credible source of information about Arabs and Muslims -- information needed at a time when events and media coverage are depicting an adversarial relationship between them and us.
Thanks also for Jim Gouvellis , citing the Human Resources Institute email detailing the commonality of the Golden Rule to the world's major religions. We are still adjusting to ideological pluralism; and we definitely need more education about the several religions living together here in the U.S. For example, my anti-Semitic brother-in-law and a special friend who worked in Iran for four years and is now anti-Islam, both need to be educated.

Actually, the world's religions have something else in common -- extremists who find ideological pluralism an obstacle to their selective interpretation of their religion. That's why we need more articles which provide the citizenry with facts about the fundamentals of each religion.
Samar Jarrah is a unique American -- a Muslim who has lived in four Arab countries, been a TV journalist in Lebanon, and is an educator. She is a moderate, even-tempered person, who can describe the Palestinian occupation without emotional adjectives, and explain the Quran in a credible manner. I am looking forward to more guest columns by Samar; as they will assist in educating us about the real Arab world and Islam.
L. G. C.

5/3/2002
America united under God
by RENEE LePERE
ENGLEWOOD -- Muslims, Jews and Christians came together in Englewood Thursday afternoon to pray for peace, family and leadership at the annual National Day of Prayer. This year's theme was "America United Under God." "This should happen in more places more often," said Lee Clark, who was visiting from New Jersey. "It is a good idea to get all the faiths together."

Events of Sept. 11, the Middle East Crisis and the continuing war in Afghanistan were touchstones commonly prayed for during the service. The Rev. Arthur Lee, of St. David's Episcopal Church, said it was a time for reflection and self-examination. "God, we are meant to love and serve you better than we do," Lee prayed. "We have meant to listen to your voice, but have been too busy too often. We have dared not to put our trust in you. We have put vast sums in armaments, but we are still afraid."

The Rev. Tom Jones, of Suncoast Worship Center, asked attendees to hold hands and "pray for the person on the right and the person on the left." "We need to reach the point where we focus more on the things we agree on," Jones said. Samar Jarrah and Hasam Hammami, of the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida, prayed for peace and prayed for the future. "

1/2/2002
People of many faiths come together for World Peace Day
by JENA HOWARD
ENGLEWOOD -- Hope for world peace is attainable, one heart at a time, Melissa Mulloy told the crowd of nearly 300 people Tuesday in Englewood United Methodist Church, even as the war in Afghanistan continues. Mulloy is a coordinator for the local World Peace Day, the event that brought people there to hear speakers of the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Baha'i and Christian faiths. Mulloy, Peter and Annabelle Duisberg and others wrapped the local event around the visit of Mayor Damir Spancic and his wife, Dubravka, of Pakrac, Croatia.

One speaker, Samar Jarrah, said she is an American citizen by choice, an Arab Muslim by birth and a Palestinian by heritage. She teaches Islam two days a week at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County. "The problem is not religious, it's political," she said. "Muslims, Christians and Jews all come from the same seed. ... "No God can ask people to go and kill in the name of this God. Jews, Christians and Muslims all over the world in peace movements are being ignored. Write -- write your president, write your Congress. ... This is what I pledge allegiance to. I speak my mind and I urge you to speak your mind."
She read from the Quran, "Mankind was created from a single pair, that you may love one another: not that you may despise or abhor or kill each other."

10/15/2001
Arab, Muslim issues discussed
by GARRY OVERBEY
International relations expert speaks in Charlotte County
Samar Jarrah spoke Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Port Charlotte about Muslim and Arab issues in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Born 39 years ago to Palestinian parents in Kuwait, Jarrah has lived in Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, where she worked as a broadcast journalist. She settled here 12 years ago and now speaks on international relations at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County.

When asked by an audience member how her students perceive terrorism, Jarrah said "academic intimidation" has stopped her from discussing it with them. By academic intimidation, Jarrah means the acts of Sept. 11 are unexplainable and were simply, "evil acts." "Unfortunately, academia is being intimidated," she said. "I might be taken by some students as speaking for another people."
But Jarrah said she is not a spokesperson for the Muslim or Arab communities. And she certainly does not endorse the events of Sept. 11. "I, personally, am against violence and abhor terrorism," she said. Since she's lived in Charlotte County, Jarrah said she has tried to change the perception of Middle Eastern people as "dangerous." But the terrorist attacks undid all her work, she added.

"My culture has been vilified," she said. "My religion, my culture, my language, my heritage." Jarrah blames the media for this, along with "simple ignorance ... a machine that targets the far away in search of an enemy." Audience member Gus Manoles, of Port Charlotte, asked Jarrah if Osama bin Laden's anger stemmed from American foreign policy, particularly the presence of U.S. military in Saudi Arabia. The question rankled Jarrah, who said nothing related to foreign policy could justify bin Laden's actions.

10/4/2001
Letters to the Editor
Editor:
Congratulations to Richard Peacock and to the Sun for the Q&A interview of Samar Jarrah, international relations instructor at Edison Community College. May Ms. Jarrah's explanations enlighten those who are so blindly prejudiced, they only show themselves to most other people as being quite stupid. Case in point in a Tallahassee office nearly 10 years ago. The phone rang at noon in a small office with only one person to answer. She is French-American (to be politically correct) with a French accent. Caller: "I want to speak to someone who speaks English."

Genuine reassurance that he would be understood was of no avail, so an offer was made to have someone else return his call later, but before giving his name: "Ma'am, I hate to tell you that, but you have a terrible Spanish accent." I answered: "Isn't that amazing for someone who was born, raised and educated in Paris, France. Suddenly, I spoke good enough English to help him, to his apparent satisfaction.

Prejudice is everywhere. I had an editor who told me on four different occasions, "why don't you go back where you come from," "why did you ever stay in this country," and the like. She even had the word "executive" added to her title. I need not mention the name of the publication, enough people heard her comments. Poor soul.
L. P. J., Punta Gorda, FL

9/30/2001
Q & A
by Richard Peacock
Editor's note: Sun reporter Richard Peacock recently interviewed Port Charlotte resident Samar Jarrah about Islam, the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath. Jarrah is Arab and Muslim. She is also a media and international relations instructor with Edison Community College and the University of South of Florida.
Jarrah has also worked as a broadcast journalist in the Middle Eastern Country of Jordan. She has lived in the United States for about 12 years. She was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. The 39-year-old Jarrah is married to Mamoom Jarrah, a physician based in Port Charlotte.

Sun: Ever since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, people of Middle Eastern descent and those who look like such people have been harassed. What do you make of these developments?

Jarrah: I know that the media reported on maybe 300 cases -- the documented ones, anywhere from 300 to 400 cases since the attack -- about not only Arabs but those who look like them. ... But the media did not cover the tens of thousands -- the true American spirit -- of people who showed support, who sent e-mails and cards and went really out of their way, trying to make us feel at home and welcome.
So I don't want to pick on the very few incidents, if you compare them to how many millions of people are in this county. I want always to stress that, yes, there were negative things happening, but it is not a representation of what America is and how, starting from the president downward, everyone went out of their way to make us feel safe and truly belonging to the nation.

Sun: No one attacked or harassed masses of white people when Timothy McVeigh became a bombing suspect and was later convicted for killing hundreds of people in a federal building in Oklahoma City.

Jarrah: (Before) the Oklahoma bombing and (before) the tragic incident on Sept. 11, there has been racial profiling. Maybe it was more with African Americans and other minorities, but also the Arabs were targeted by the FBI or by the police. It seems that it is not only the Arabs. It is because they are involved in something or some of them are involved in something (that) they are being targeted.
Although my brother has blue eyes, my husband has green eyes. I am the unfortunate one with dark eyes. But you would never suspect by talking to my brother, husband or sister. They look very fair, yet they are Arabs. So they won't be racially profiled, yet they are from the same group of people.
It really is there in the society, racial profiling. ... It never happened to me. In the 12 years that I lived here, no one ever mistreated me, even after they know I am an Arab. Actually what happens is that, as soon as they find out I am an Arab, a Palestinian and a Muslim, they say, "Oh my gosh." I don't fit the image that they see on television, in papers or videos and movies. Sometimes you just need to open people's eyes.

Sun: There are people who believe, and are told by the media, that Muslim women don't work. You obviously work. You are not wearing a veil; you are not covered in black. Is it your decision not to fit this image?

Jarrah: Do all Americans go to church? Do all Americans go to the synagogue if they are Jewish? No. And they are not even asked about religion. People do not discuss religion in America. ... Why is it when it comes to an Arab woman or Muslims, all of a sudden they start looking at religion, the differences, and pinpointing these things?

But what people don't know is that I represent the majority of women in the Middle East. ... How can you tell I am not French or Spanish? There is no way you can. But the goal when they go to Egypt, they don't interview people like us. They don't show people like us. They show those who are visually different and this is, unfortunately, the image that stays with Americans.

Sun: Do you think there is a problem with how the media uses words to describe countries where the population is dominated by Muslims? We hear "Islamic extremists" or countries labeled "Muslim countries."

Jarrah: Yes. It is for many reasons. One of these is, of course, ignorance. They have no clue what this is. It is different and it is not familiar to them. Most likely, they have never seen a Muslim or befriended a Muslim and have never been there, so they rely on the images. The other (reason) is the unfortunate prejudice that is in this society to start with, the stereotyping, which did not start with the Arabs. It started with the Jews, the Native Americans, the African Americans, the Hispanics and now it's the Arabs.
For instance, when I lived in Kuwait and I was 8 years old, I grew up watching American TV and I grew up with the same prejudice. I though Native Americans were butchers and bloodthirsty people who attacked the poor Americans. I never thought that maybe it was vice versa. Same thing for African Americans. I thought, "Oh God, they are all drug dealers."

You have evil and good. The white man is always (portrayed as) good. So they pick on the poor dark man, the backwards man. ... For instance, we would never say the Christian, Timothy McVeigh. He was Christian, but his religion wasn't an issue. ... Now comes Osama bin Laden, one person. ... All of a sudden Islam is remembered, religion is remembered, ethnicity is remembered. So there must be balance.
Sun: News media across the country have said followers of Osama bin Laden believe terrorism is justified by the Quran. How true or false are these reports?

Jarrah: I studied religion. We studied religion since the first grade, until the 12th grade. And when I lived in Saudi Arabia, I studied -- extremely, intensive -- religion. I have not seen any of that. ... I mean, it is something to die, but it is another to take your own life. Same token with killing someone else. These are the two most horrible crimes and are severely punished by God.

So there is this contradiction: How can I speak of fulfilling religion -- and yet I am disobeying (by performing) the most terrible things you can do to God and religion. ... I would love to ask these questions of the Muslims and see where on Earth they bring this from, because I have read the Quran a million times.

Sun: What about nonviolent tactics? For instance, Gandhi, in India, was essentially at war with the British and, through nonviolent tactics, was able to resolve the conflict there.

Jarrah: We should never give up any goodwill or ideas or anything, but Gandhi struggled. He did not wake up one day in the morning and say, "Oh, OK: nonviolence." He struggled first with himself, disciplined himself. And then he really struggled to spread his message among his people, who were being abused and terrorized and murdered by ... the British Empire.
... I am saying that nonviolence in general or peace or diplomacy are much tougher to achieve than war. It is much more difficult to make peace than it is to make war. It is much more difficult to be nonviolent, to be peaceful, to be friendly or to discipline yourself from doing terrible things. ... If we want to discuss more politically vis a vis this case, it is quite complicated. The situation is complicated. The location is complicated.

Sun: You are speaking of?

Jarrah: Afghanistan. The incident is unprecedented, the consequences are new and strange. Whatever policy and whatever tactic the government will take, I would always just like them to have time to think. ... What I, as an educator, always teach my students is to take their time, take a breath, weigh every means possible, all options possible and then act. (You) must study what you have in your hands and not just act.

Sun: One more thing: Do you think you will be harassed in light of what has recently happened?
Jarrah: No. If you talk Port Charlotte, if it happens, it won't happen from someone I have met or I have talked to. ... If just one person says something, I would say, "Oh, gosh, he does not know anything." I would love to actually invite him for coffee and explain a little bit of who we are.

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Samar Jarrah
Mentions in The Charlotte Sun, 2001-2004
6/19/2004
FBI investigating mosque threats
By CHRISTY ARNOLD
Religious groups express support for Islamic Community

CHARLOTTE HARBOR -- Local Muslims are being terrorized. In addition to the recent vandalism defacing the sign outside the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida building on Harborview Road, someone has been leaving threatening phone messages targeting Muslim worshippers. The FBI is now investigating the threats, said Hasan Hammami, adviser to the Board of Directors for the Islamic Community. FBI Special Agent Sara Oates confirmed Friday they are are looking into the matter. "We are aware of the situation and we will coordinate our investigation with our local partners ... to determine if a hate crime, which may fall under the FBI's jurisdiction, was committed," Oates said.

While the ugliness displayed to local Muslims this week has some in fear, area religious leaders have countered the attacks with kindness. "We received messages of support from other religious groups in town," Hammami said. Rabbi Solomon Agin, from Temple Shalom of Charlotte County, said no one should be harassing the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida. "Certainly we do not wish them to be harassed," Agin said. "They live in a free country, and no one should be harassing them on any level."
In addition, local law enforcement leaders are taking a strong stand against the vandalism, threats or any other crimes committed. "It's not going to be tolerated," said Charlotte County Sheriff's Maj. John Davenport. Davenport referred to the vandalism and threats against members of the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida as terrorism. ì I believe it is terrorism," he said.

And this isn't the first time the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida has been terrorized. A week after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, someone set fire to the sign outside the mosque. Due to this week's threatening messages some worshippers are nervous about attending early morning and late night services at the mosque, Hammami said. Many Muslims came to America so they could practice their religion freely -- and safely, said member Samar Jarrah. "Now I have to look over my shoulder," she said.
Hammami is recommending that worshippers attend services -- especially the early morning and night ones -- in groups. Anyone going to the mosque, traveling in the area or living in the neighborhood is asked to call the Sheriff's Office if anything suspicious or out of the ordinary is noticed near the Harborview Road center.

4/26/2004
Letters to the Editor
by a Local Resident
Looking beyond our borders to illuminate the world
Here in Englewood, where our world is bounded by Lemon Bay, Charlotte Harbor and the Myakka River, the world is seldom with us. In our insular community, we often lose sight of the larger issues that spin our globe, except when war or tragedy bring home the fact that we are interconnected. But why wait until things go wrong to learn of the larger world? Why not invest the time and energy to learn of people and places beyond our shores?

It's fortunate that a group of Englewood residents took advantage recently of an opportunity to do just that. In an eloquent article, Sun writer Grace Gilbert recently described an eye-opening lecture about the Middle East delivered by Samar Jarrah, a local professor and scholar. These days, as we see televised images of angry Iraqis with masked faces waving weapons and cursing our country, it's understandable that our first reaction would be rage. Who are these people to curse our nation, harm our troops and defile our flag? But, as Jarrah pointed out, there's a lot of history one must understand before jumping to conclusions about right and wrong in this complicated world.

At the forum, sponsored by the Englewood Peace Initiative Coalition, Jarrah was equally fair in laying blame. She spoke of the centuries of enmity between the Christian and Muslim world, and noted that Arab leaders, through short-sighted policies of self-aggrandizement, had brought misery to their own people. Prior to the tragic events of 9/11, Jarrah and her fellow Arabs and Muslims had been largely silent, fearing the reaction by Christians to their assuming a larger role in public affairs.

But since the horrific events of that day, Muslims have had the courage to speak out, not to criticize our nation but rather to explain their religion and way of life to many who have been ignorant of how a very large part of the world lives. No, one lecture cannot bring peace. But a willingness to look beyond our own world, and the courage of people like Jarrah to share an alien experience with us, can help bridge the gap of ignorance that all too often leads to the tragedy of war.

4/16/2004
Middle East 101 at public forum
by GRACE GILBERT
ENGLEWOOD -- Old friends greeted each other and an American flag stood behind the podium where Samar Jarrah spoke to the Englewood Peace Initiative Coalition at the Elsie Quirk Library Thursday afternoon. An American citizen born in Kuwait, Jarrah had been invited by EPIC to give an update on the situation in the Middle East, but first had to address her diverse audience as a professor teaching an introductory course.

After living in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, Jarrah earned a bachelor's degree at the American University in Egypt and a master's degree from the University of South Florida, is Islamic by faith and a former Fulbright scholar. "I am not a Democrat or Republican or Independent or anything," she said as she launched into a background summary of historical events in the Arab-speaking world.

Jarrah emphasized the region has a proud history dating back 6,000 years that naturally rejects having "newcomers" come to tell them how to behave and what to believe in. A tribal society formed to counter harsh climate and few resources was based on absolute honor of a man's word in business, politics and families. Jarrah noted that invasions from Christian countries dating back to the Crusades are not forgotten, nor the region's more recent bad experiences with Italian, English, French and German colonization efforts.

Even more destructive were attempts to change local language and customs, changing the natural order of country developments. When describing the current situation in Iraq and neighboring countries, Jarrah observed that no Arab leaders, no matter how benevolent they appear, were elected, and none would be kept in office for a single hour if their countrymen were given a vote. She projected that one way to solve problems in the region would be for all current leaders to leave office. A grassroots government by the people could be the the most viable solution, she said, "even if it takes 100 years."

"Mister President, get out of Iraq," she urged. "Children need to go through adolescence just before they are independent. There is no civil war and it's not a U.S. responsibility. These people need to evolve and learn by themselves. It's not perfect, but it's better to pull out the (U.S.) troops before more of the world hates us more."

"I'd say everybody was impressed, pleased with her talk and better informed now," said Pat Lechaton. "After I listened to her a few minutes at one of her courses, my less-than-open mind was opened." Jarrah has been an editor and reporter in press and television news in Jordan, is considered an expert on Middle East issues and is currently teaching "Advanced Arabic World" at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County in Port Charlotte.

2/16/2004
Classes reflect national trend
by GINGER ASSADI
Students take interest in the Middle East
Donald Fialka encourages his fellow Americans to "take the blinders off." Fialka, a Venice resident, spoke up during a recent class on Islam offered at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County. He and the students who turned out for the six-week course taught by Ahmed N. Elrefai, Ph.D., are representative of a national trend in education.

America's involvement in the Middle East -- whether military, economic or political -- has led many people like Fialka to want to learn more about the region and its people. Universities across the country are adding more Middle East studies classes. In this area, courses about the Middle East and Islam are being offered at the Cultural Center and Edison Community College.

Elrefai and Samar Jarrah are both offering classes beginning in March at the Cultural Center. His focuses on religion and hers deals with politics and history. Hassan Hammami is finishing up his lecture series at Edison Community College. Fort Ogden resident Peter Barker said he had traveled extensively in North Africa and Afghanistan and spent much of his time speaking with Muslims and Arabs.

This is the first time he has studied Islam in a formal manner. Barker said Elrefai taught the class about Islam through example; he provided text-books for the class free of charge because giving part of one's income or goods to others, especially those in need, is one of the pillars of his faith. Barker was quick to point out that Elrefai wasn't seeking converts. "The point (of the class) was to explain someone else's faith, which is difficult to do and stay on track. His sincerity really comes across," Barker said.
Englewood resident Pat Lechaton said she signed up for the class to better understand the current military action in Iraq. "The news made it sound like we were right and justified in taking action," she said. But, as a member of the Englewood Peace Coalition, Lechaton wasn't satisfied with the explanations she found on the evening news or in the morning paper, so she signed up for Elrefai's class. This deeper understanding is something Samar Jarrah's students seek, she said. She has been offering classes about the Arab world for 13 years. She said her classes have grown since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"I start my class asking why they're here," Jarrah said. "Almost 99 percent say they don't think media coverage is sufficient to explain what's going on. Or, they say the media is biased and they question why no one is critical." Jarrah said she has to work hard to find a balance for her students -- some are well-read in history and current events, while others come in with little knowledge of geography or a even a basic understanding of the Arabic culture.

In her class, Jarrah covers a wide variety of topics -- history, cultures of the Middle East, Islam, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Gulf War, terrorism and the war in Iraq. She said she tries to show the historical reasons for current foreign policy. "It doesn't come haphazardly," she said.

Hammami's class covers a wide variety of topics, but some of his teaching goes on outside the classroom. Once a semester he invites his class for a Middle Eastern meal at Mr. Submarine in Port Charlotte. Not only do the students get a taste of Middle Eastern food, but they have an opportunity to talk with the restaurant's Palestinian-American owners. The classes in our area reflect the nationwide academic interest in the Middle East.

The demand for Arabic language and Middle East-related courses prompted Florida State University's board of trustees to approve the creation of a bachelor's degree in Middle East Studies. Zeina Schlenoff, Ph.D., said the program is interdisciplinary and will include courses in language, culture, history, archaeology and politics, amongst others. Schlenoff has taught Arabic language courses at FSU for six years. She said the demand has almost tripled in the past two to three years. "I never had to turn students away before," she said.

She attributes the interest in part to recent world events. "After Sept. 11, many Americans realized they knew very little about the Middle East," Schlenoff said. She said there is a real demand for speakers of Arabic, such as for military interpreting, international business and peace negotiations.

16/2004
Letters to the Editor
Article was greatóEditor,
Bravo! A dynamite article by Samar Jarrah. Thank you for publishing it, and for once again exhibiting moral courage and the truest principles of even-handed, unbiased and professional journalism, in allowing a broad spectrum of views to be aired. The facts in the article cannot be disputed, and there will be many positive comments, but the publishing of these facts might be unpalatable to some, and I cannot wait for the "fallout"!
S. C., Punta Gorda, FL

11/17/2003--
Letters to the Editor
Editor,
On Nov. 5, Samar Jarrah responded to an article by Zed Chafets published in the Sun on Oct. 31. It is not clear to me that her objection is the defamation of Islam or spending American tax dollars and losing American soldiers in Iraq or the tremendous profit that Halliburton and its ex-officio Mr. Cheney is making. There is no question that under Islamic doctrine, many Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq, Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia justify unlimited brutality and depressive societies.

I did not note any reference to the final goal of U.S. involvement in Iraq by creating a free society and improving their way of life. What is wrong if the entire world body put aside their political interests in an effort to remove tyrannical governments of countries like Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia? Islam is a respectful religion, yet under the pretext of the Islamic governments, there are tremendous human rights violations.

Samar Jarrah and all other educated Arab people who live in our American democratic system should focus more energy to dismantle these oppressive governments. Then those people have an opportunity to live in a free society as Ms. Jarrah does. Criticizing people who express the existing facts regardless of their religious affiliation or previous profession is not the answer.

M. T., Punta Gorda, FL
10/12/2003
Community Calendar
Charlotte Community Calendar
Bike ride fund-raiser for the Genesis Center, 8 a.m. from the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition's new site at 1476 Kenesaw St. in Murdock to the South Gulf Cove area. Fifty-mile ride led by Samar Jarrah and Scott Buchanan. Proceeds will benefit the coalition, whose old building was destroyed by fire in July.

8/22/2003
Local woman's cousin survives Baghdad blast
by MALCOLM BRENNER
The terrorist explosion that destroyed the United Nations headquarters in Iraq Tuesday was strongly felt in Charlotte County. "I woke up at 7:30 a.m. that day and immediately went to the Internet," said Samar Jarrah, a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian journalist and activist who lives in Port Charlotte. "The first thing I saw was there had been a huge explosion at the hotel housing the U.N. headquarters, and I knew she was staying there. I thought, 'Oh my God, she's in there!' "

Samar's fears were for her cousin, Nada al-Nashif, 35, the daughter of Jarrah's maternal aunt, Inam. Jarrah considers al-Nashif like a sister. The two women grew up together in Kuwait, a refuge for many upwardly mobile Palestinians before the 1990 Gulf War. "We did typical childhood things -- playing, swimming, going to the tennis club together, sleeping over at each others' houses. When my father passed away, al-Nashif's family took care of us for a week during that very difficult time," Jarrah recalled.
After al-Nashif earned a master's degree from Oxford University, "the U.N. grabbed her," Jarrah said. "She speaks English, Arabic and French fluently." Al-Nashif went to work for the U.N. Development Programme, which helps finance economic development in impoverished countries around the world.

Before long, al-Nashif was accepting overseas assignments for the Programme. She rose to deputy director for Africa and Middle East, a position that required frequent travel. The cousins kept in close touch, mainly through e-mail. "She has a good position, she's very well respected," Jarrah explained. "She's met (U.N. Secretary General) Kofi Annan and half the leaders of the world, but she never talked about her work. Not because she was secretive, but because we were always catching up with our friends, family and social life. It's not like she was hiding something, she just didn't want to brag."
Al-Nashif served in Libya and Lebanon before being seriously injured, just a few weeks ago, on a whirlwind, three-week trip through 21 African nations. "They were in a car, and from the bumpy ride a disk in her spine snapped suddenly," Jarrah recalled. "It was a very, very serious injury. She was airlifted to the U.N. headquarters in Lebanon, where she spent six weeks flat on her back."

Al-Nashif had just recovered from the injury when the U.N. headquarters where she worked was bombed Tuesday by a new terrorist group, the ''Armed Vanguards of a Second Mohammed Army.'' The huge car bomb destroyed the Canal Hotel and killed 23 U.N. workers, including the U.N.'s chief envoy to Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello. "Sitting in front of the TV, you see all these bodies coming out," Jarrah recalled. "They said 12 men's and two women's bodies were recovered, and since there were very few women working there, we thought it was Nada. They never say that, but they'd rather not send the women to such hot-spot areas."

Then, al-Nashif's family in Jordan received an unexpected phone call from the Jordanian Minister of Planning. On Sky TV, an English news channel, he had glimpsed al-Nashif being lifted from the rubble, alive. "Until that moment, not Nada's mother or sister or any of us had talked to her," Jarrah said. "We had no idea if she was dead or alive." Al-Nashif's sister went to the Sky TV Web site (www.sky.com) and found a picture of al-Nashif there.

"When I went to the Web site to finally read names of those who died, my heart was pounding so hard that I didn't want to read the names," Jarrah said. "Then I said, 'Thank God,' but I felt bad because thanking God for saving Nada's life also meant 12 others had died. "I was extremely happy, happy for Nada's mom. It's an agony to lose a child in that way. Her mom managed to find out she had surgery on her shoulder" -- an injury that's visible in the photo.

There's no word on if, or when, al-Nashif might return to her post. But Jarrah, a pacifist, said the escalating violence in Iraq, Israel and elsewhere has only strengthened her convictions. "I'm very nonviolent, I believe in civil disobedience, but these two past days make me feel how true it is that one should never resort to violence or pre-emptive strikes or wars or suicide bombings to get a point across," said Jarrah, a Muslim.

Jarrah's been training for a 50-mile bike marathon to raise money for the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition. After getting the good news Tuesday, she went for a 40-mile ride with a Jewish friend. "He commented about the bombing in Jerusalem, I commented about my cousin," Jarrah mused. "I said to him, 'Maybe if people bike and get away from revenge and all these other things, we can get along like you and I get along.' "

6/17/2003
Peace group creates Duisberg award
by GERALD DUISBERG
The Rev. Fred Morris first recipient
The Reverend Fred Morris was presented with the first annual Peter and Annabelle Duisberg Peace and Non-Violence Award by the Southwest Florida Peace Coalition during a Forum on Preemptive Peace held June 10 at the Harry Sudakoff Hall on the University of South Florida campus in Sarasota.
Arab-American difficulties
Samar Jarrah, a Palestinian born in Kuwait who considers that she had the good fortune to wind up in this country and then become a citizen, also spoke at the June 10 forum. Speaking about the difficulties faced by Arab-Americans and Muslims at the present time, Jarrah lamented that the America she treasured is being taken away bit-by-bit by a fearful obsession with security, and wondered why there seems to be so little public outrage over that.

/18/2003
Religious community responds to Bush's speech
by MALCOLM BRENNER
The reactions of Southwest Florida's religious community to President Bush's Monday night speech, giving Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein 48 hours to abdicate or face the use of force, divided cleanly along political lines. "I thought it was a good speech," said the Rev. Kenneth Hostetler, minister of Trinity United Methodist Church in Arcadia. "It didn't leave any doubt in the American mind as far as where we stand.

"I really feel, biblically, God has given nations the responsibility to administer justice and the church the responsibility to administer mercy and grace," Hostetler said. Bush has been "generous in mercy and grace to Saddam Hussein," he added. Hostetler said it was regrettable that Islam has been "hijacked."
"Extremists have taken their religious beliefs and twisted it to justify merciless killings, as with Christianity in the days of the Crusades," he said. "Historically, that was totally wrong."

To the Iraqi people, Bush said, "The day of your liberation is near." Samar Jarrah, a member of the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida in Port Charlotte, responded with concern.
"It may be liberation, but at what cost?" Jarrah asked. "Many people may see it that way, but it's difficult to have liberation with 3,000 bombs being dropped on you."

Jarrah's most immediate concern was for the safety of the local Muslim community. "There's been an unbelievable amount of misinformation about us, and pointing fingers as if we come from a different planet," Jarrah said. "Our concern is for us to be safe and for our mosque to be safe. We're also concerned about the men and boys in the army, the civilians and the rest of world." 1-29-2003

1/10/2003
Peace rally warns of Iraq war
by GAVIN OFF
ENGLEWOOD -- The turnout was light, but the discussion significant. In front of an audience of about 50 people, residents and community leaders voiced their concerns about a potential war with Iraq during a public forum Thursday at the Elsie Quirk Englewood Library. The antiwar crowd spoke about everything from horrors of previous wars and the economics of a war, to the human cost and the global reaction to it.

Key speaker Dan Crockrell of Englewood, a former pilot who spent much of his life living in Middle Eastern countries, said most of the Iraqi people, "99.9 percent of them," harbor no ill feelings toward the United States. But he said those innocent people would be the most affected by war. "The Arab and Muslim people are decent, decent people," Crockrell said. "I lived with them and my children played with their children. They are decent, law-abiding people."

Crockrell said the U.S. is only interested in controlling Iraq's oil supplies and governing the Middle East, an area that has largely avoided U.S. influence. He warned that an unprovoked attack on Iraq would lead to a backlash from all Muslim countries, citing Indonesia and the Philippines as primary participants. "The globalization fallout of this would be tremendous," Crockrell said. "There has got to be a better solution to this or we are all going to suffer."

Augi Schmitz, who helped coordinate last week's World Peace Day event, said the military budget reaches about $400 billion, or about 25 percent of the government's total spending. He said the economic cost of a war would decrease funds for medical services like Medicaid and Medicare. This is just one of the ways the war would hit Southwest Florida, he said. "If you think you're not going to be touched, you're talking to a stranger in the mirror," Schmitz said.

But the financial cost of a war is the least of the problems, said Don Gentile of Nokomis. While he questioned why all the money spent for war couldn't be spent on dialogue, Gentile said the greatest casualty of war would be human life, especially the lives of innocent Iraqi citizens. "The dollar amount is secondary," Gentile said. "Most of us want peace because we want peace."
A number of audience members said they're planning to attend peace rallies in Venice and Port Charlotte on Jan. 18. An anti-war crowd is scheduled to march on Washington, D.C., the same day. Samar Jarrah, member of the Peace River Peace Coalition, helped close the meeting, which was sponsored by the Florida Southwest Education Coalition, with the warning that U.S. citizens are directly accountable for the war. They have the ability to speak up and stop a potential conflict, she said. "Everyone of us is responsible for our government," Jarrah said. "Keep hoping, keep trying."

2/2003
Peace rally kicks off 2003
by GAVIN OFF
ENGLEWOOD -- "Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind," said the Rev. Charles McKenzie. Testimonies of peace, songs of hope and words of forgiveness filled the chapel at the Englewood United Methodist Church on Wednesday as the church welcomed some 500 people of different faiths. Christian, Muslim and Baha'i speakers spoke of peace, mostly between the United States and Middle Eastern countries, kicking off Englewood's 13th annual Day of Prayer for World Peace.
Mario Spalatin and Jean Ranallo spoke about their mission to Croatia, where they toured villages devastated by four years of war, and the Rev. Arthur Lee told of previous wars ignited by religion. Some included the Crusades, the Inquisition and the Holocaust. Such wars, he said, must come to an end. "Without forgiveness, the past will repeat itself in the future over and over and over," Lee said. "If we choose to forgive, then we truly become sons and daughters of the God who brought us into being."
Samar Jarrah, member of the Peace River Peace Coalition, said she e-mailed friends in Iraq, asking them what they wanted her to tell her fellow Americans. They responded by saying that it would be their homes being destroyed and their family members getting killed if war breaks out, Jarrah said. "You are their only hope," Jarrah said. "Their lives are in your hands. Stand up for what is right."

The Rev. Fahed Abu Akel, the event's keynote speaker and moderator of the Presbyterian Church-USA, thanked the Englewood community for putting peace first. Fahed, who spent part of his childhood in a Palestinian refugee camp before becoming a Christian minister in the U.S., said the U.S. has the ability to control the world by military force or the ability to lead the world in the fights against hunger and AIDS. Which direction the United States chooses to head will determine much of the world's future, he said. "The policy of America in the 21st century is do we lead the world with the gun...or do we lead the world through peacekeeping and negotiation," Fahed asked. "America must change its policies." 10-22-2002
Interfaith Prayer Service, 7 p.m. at San Antonio Catholic Church, 24445 Rampart Blvd., Port Charlotte. Presenters: Rabbi Herbert Rose from Temple Shalom, Sister Sallie Latkovich from Rice School of Pastoral Ministry, and Samar Jarrah from Islamic Community of Southwest Florida. Open to the public. 624-6255.

6/21/2002
Forum looks at peace in Middle East
by CHRIS CURRY
ENGLEWOOD-- Hasan A. Hammami has a blueprint he thinks will bring peace to the Middle East. In a week that saw Palestinian suicide bombers strike Jerusalem on consecutive days and the reoccupation of the West Bank town of Ramallah by the Israeli military, Hammami mapped out his plan Thursday. He was one of four panel members to speak at the the Florida Southwest Peace Education Coalition's forum "Transforming the Root Causes of Terrorism: Forgiveness Heals," held at the Elsie Quirk Library.

The plan, as Hammami summarized it, calls for Israeli settlers to leave the West Bank and Gaza Strip and Palestinian refugees to return to the area. Then NATO troops would step in as peace keepers while the whole region is demilitarized. The next step, he said, would be to rebuild the region's infrastructure and create a state of Palestine that engages in free trade with neighboring Israel. "The solution to me is clear -- two separate states living equally side by side," he said.

Hammami is a Palestinian-born Punta Gorda resident and American citizen who is a member of the Islamic faith but attended Christian school while growing up in Palestine. His diverse background was shared by other panel members.

Panelist Samar Jarrah, a Palestinian-born resident of Port Charlotte, said the peaceful discussion by people of different ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs was an example of what needed to happen to bring peace to the Middle East. "We are different in our color and belief system, but we are all one in our humanity ... to me the first step in forgiveness is recognizing the other, that the other is as human as myself," Jarrah said.

Brown said America for Peace Now and Peace Now in Israel also supported the establishment of a free and democratic Palestinian state. But, he said, given the current escalating violence in the region, these goals do not look attainable anytime soon. "As you all know the history, since 1980 this region has not produced peace," he said. "And at the present moment, we have to recognize, with sorrow, the chaotic situation there ... every day there are more bombings by both sides, killings by both sides and chaos reigns instead of moving forward toward peace." 5-21-2002

/17/2002
Letters to the Editor
Thanks for running Samar Jarrah's column
Editor,
My thanks for Samar Jarrah's guest column "Did you ever ask, 'Why we do not like them?," in The Sun , May 5. She's a vital, credible source of information about Arabs and Muslims -- information needed at a time when events and media coverage are depicting an adversarial relationship between them and us.
Thanks also for Jim Gouvellis , citing the Human Resources Institute email detailing the commonality of the Golden Rule to the world's major religions. We are still adjusting to ideological pluralism; and we definitely need more education about the several religions living together here in the U.S. For example, my anti-Semitic brother-in-law and a special friend who worked in Iran for four years and is now anti-Islam, both need to be educated.

Actually, the world's religions have something else in common -- extremists who find ideological pluralism an obstacle to their selective interpretation of their religion. That's why we need more articles which provide the citizenry with facts about the fundamentals of each religion.

Samar Jarrah is a unique American -- a Muslim who has lived in four Arab countries, been a TV journalist in Lebanon, and is an educator. She is a moderate, even-tempered person, who can describe the Palestinian occupation without emotional adjectives, and explain the Quran in a credible manner. I am looking forward to more guest columns by Samar; as they will assist in educating us about the real Arab world and Islam.
L. G. C.

5/3/2002
America united under God
by RENEE LePERE
ENGLEWOOD -- Muslims, Jews and Christians came together in Englewood Thursday afternoon to pray for peace, family and leadership at the annual National Day of Prayer. This year's theme was "America United Under God." "This should happen in more places more often," said Lee Clark, who was visiting from New Jersey. "It is a good idea to get all the faiths together."
Events of Sept. 11, the Middle East Crisis and the continuing war in Afghanistan were touchstones commonly prayed for during the service. The Rev. Arthur Lee, of St. David's Episcopal Church, said it was a time for reflection and self-examination. "God, we are meant to love and serve you better than we do," Lee prayed. "We have meant to listen to your voice, but have been too busy too often. We have dared not to put our trust in you. We have put vast sums in armaments, but we are still afraid."
The Rev. Tom Jones, of Suncoast Worship Center, asked attendees to hold hands and "pray for the person on the right and the person on the left." "We need to reach the point where we focus more on the things we agree on," Jones said. Samar Jarrah and Hasam Hammami, of the Islamic Community of Southwest Florida, prayed for peace and prayed for the future. "

1/2/2002
People of many faiths come together for World Peace Day
by JENA HOWARD
ENGLEWOOD -- Hope for world peace is attainable, one heart at a time, Melissa Mulloy told the crowd of nearly 300 people Tuesday in Englewood United Methodist Church, even as the war in Afghanistan continues. Mulloy is a coordinator for the local World Peace Day, the event that brought people there to hear speakers of the Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Baha'i and Christian faiths. Mulloy, Peter and Annabelle Duisberg and others wrapped the local event around the visit of Mayor Damir Spancic and his wife, Dubravka, of Pakrac, Croatia.

One speaker, Samar Jarrah, said she is an American citizen by choice, an Arab Muslim by birth and a Palestinian by heritage. She teaches Islam two days a week at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County. "The problem is not religious, it's political," she said. "Muslims, Christians and Jews all come from the same seed. ... "No God can ask people to go and kill in the name of this God. Jews, Christians and Muslims all over the world in peace movements are being ignored. Write -- write your president, write your Congress. ... This is what I pledge allegiance to. I speak my mind and I urge you to speak your mind."
She read from the Quran, "Mankind was created from a single pair, that you may love one another: not that you may despise or abhor or kill each other."

10/15/2001
Arab, Muslim issues discussed
by GARRY OVERBEY
International relations expert speaks in Charlotte County
Samar Jarrah spoke Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Port Charlotte about Muslim and Arab issues in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Born 39 years ago to Palestinian parents in Kuwait, Jarrah has lived in Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, where she worked as a broadcast journalist. She settled here 12 years ago and now speaks on international relations at the Cultural Center of Charlotte County.

When asked by an audience member how her students perceive terrorism, Jarrah said "academic intimidation" has stopped her from discussing it with them. By academic intimidation, Jarrah means the acts of Sept. 11 are unexplainable and were simply, "evil acts." "Unfortunately, academia is being intimidated," she said. "I might be taken by some students as speaking for another people."
But Jarrah said she is not a spokesperson for the Muslim or Arab communities. And she certainly does not endorse the events of Sept. 11. "I, personally, am against violence and abhor terrorism," she said. Since she's lived in Charlotte County, Jarrah said she has tried to change the perception of Middle Eastern people as "dangerous." But the terrorist attacks undid all her work, she added.

"My culture has been vilified," she said. "My religion, my culture, my language, my heritage." Jarrah blames the media for this, along with "simple ignorance ... a machine that targets the far away in search of an enemy." Audience member Gus Manoles, of Port Charlotte, asked Jarrah if Osama bin Laden's anger stemmed from American foreign policy, particularly the presence of U.S. military in Saudi Arabia. The question rankled Jarrah, who said nothing related to foreign policy could justify bin Laden's actions.

10/4/2001
Letters to the Editor
Editor:
Congratulations to Richard Peacock and to the Sun for the Q&A interview of Samar Jarrah, international relations instructor at Edison Community College. May Ms. Jarrah's explanations enlighten those who are so blindly prejudiced, they only show themselves to most other people as being quite stupid. Case in point in a Tallahassee office nearly 10 years ago. The phone rang at noon in a small office with only one person to answer. She is French-American (to be politically correct) with a French accent. Caller: "I want to speak to someone who speaks English."

Genuine reassurance that he would be understood was of no avail, so an offer was made to have someone else return his call later, but before giving his name: "Ma'am, I hate to tell you that, but you have a terrible Spanish accent." I answered: "Isn't that amazing for someone who was born, raised and educated in Paris, France. Suddenly, I spoke good enough English to help him, to his apparent satisfaction.
Prejudice is everywhere. I had an editor who told me on four different occasions, "why don't you go back where you come from," "why did you ever stay in this country," and the like. She even had the word "executive" added to her title. I need not mention the name of the publication, enough people heard her comments. Poor soul.
L. P. J., Punta Gorda, FL

9/30/2001
Q & A
by Richard Peacock
Editor's note: Sun reporter Richard Peacock recently interviewed Port Charlotte resident Samar Jarrah about Islam, the Sept. 11 attacks and their aftermath. Jarrah is Arab and Muslim. She is also a media and international relations instructor with Edison Community College and the University of South of Florida.

Jarrah has also worked as a broadcast journalist in the Middle Eastern Country of Jordan. She has lived in the United States for about 12 years. She was born in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. The 39-year-old Jarrah is married to Mamoom Jarrah, a physician based in Port Charlotte.

Sun: Ever since the Sept. 11 terror attacks, people of Middle Eastern descent and those who look like such people have been harassed. What do you make of these developments?

Jarrah: I know that the media reported on maybe 300 cases -- the documented ones, anywhere from 300 to 400 cases since the attack -- about not only Arabs but those who look like them. ... But the media did not cover the tens of thousands -- the true American spirit -- of people who showed support, who sent e-mails and cards and went really out of their way, trying to make us feel at home and welcome.
So I don't want to pick on the very few incidents, if you compare them to how many millions of people are in this county. I want always to stress that, yes, there were negative things happening, but it is not a representation of what America is and how, starting from the president downward, everyone went out of their way to make us feel safe and truly belonging to the nation.

Sun: No one attacked or harassed masses of white people when Timothy McVeigh became a bombing suspect and was later convicted for killing hundreds of people in a federal building in Oklahoma City.

Jarrah: (Before) the Oklahoma bombing and (before) the tragic incident on Sept. 11, there has been racial profiling. Maybe it was more with African Americans and other minorities, but also the Arabs were targeted by the FBI or by the police. It seems that it is not only the Arabs. It is because they are involved in something or some of them are involved in something (that) they are being targeted.
Although my brother has blue eyes, my husband has green eyes. I am the unfortunate one with dark eyes. But you would never suspect by talking to my brother, husband or sister. They look very fair, yet they are Arabs. So they won't be racially profiled, yet they are from the same group of people.
It really is there in the society, racial profiling. ... It never happened to me. In the 12 years that I lived here, no one ever mistreated me, even after they know I am an Arab. Actually what happens is that, as soon as they find out I am an Arab, a Palestinian and a Muslim, they say, "Oh my gosh." I don't fit the image that they see on television, in papers or videos and movies. Sometimes you just need to open people's eyes.

Sun: There are people who believe, and are told by the media, that Muslim women don't work. You obviously work. You are not wearing a veil; you are not covered in black. Is it your decision not to fit this image?

Jarrah: Do all Americans go to church? Do all Americans go to the synagogue if they are Jewish? No. And they are not even asked about religion. People do not discuss religion in America. ... Why is it when it comes to an Arab woman or Muslims, all of a sudden they start looking at religion, the differences, and pinpointing these things?
But what people don't know is that I represent the majority of women in the Middle East. ... How can you tell I am not French or Spanish? There is no way you can. But the goal when they go to Egypt, they don't interview people like us. They don't show people like us. They show those who are visually different and this is, unfortunately, the image that stays with Americans.

Sun: Do you think there is a problem with how the media uses words to describe countries where the population is dominated by Muslims? We hear "Islamic extremists" or countries labeled "Muslim countries."

Jarrah: Yes. It is for many reasons. One of these is, of course, ignorance. They have no clue what this is. It is different and it is not familiar to them. Most likely, they have never seen a Muslim or befriended a Muslim and have never been there, so they rely on the images. The other (reason) is the unfortunate prejudice that is in this society to start with, the stereotyping, which did not start with the Arabs. It started with the Jews, the Native Americans, the African Americans, the Hispanics and now it's the Arabs.
For instance, when I lived in Kuwait and I was 8 years old, I grew up watching American TV and I grew up with the same prejudice. I though Native Americans were butchers and bloodthirsty people who attacked the poor Americans. I never thought that maybe it was vice versa. Same thing for African Americans. I thought, "Oh God, they are all drug dealers."
You have evil and good. The white man is always (portrayed as) good. So they pick on the poor dark man, the backwards man. ... For instance, we would never say the Christian, Timothy McVeigh. He was Christian, but his religion wasn't an issue. ... Now comes Osama bin Laden, one person. ... All of a sudden Islam is remembered, religion is remembered, ethnicity is remembered. So there must be balance.
Sun: News media across the country have said followers of Osama bin Laden believe terrorism is justified by the Quran. How true or false are these reports?

Jarrah: I studied religion. We studied religion since the first grade, until the 12th grade. And when I lived in Saudi Arabia, I studied -- extremely, intensive -- religion. I have not seen any of that. ... I mean, it is something to die, but it is another to take your own life. Same token with killing someone else. These are the two most horrible crimes and are severely punished by God.
So there is this contradiction: How can I speak of fulfilling religion -- and yet I am disobeying (by performing) the most terrible things you can do to God and religion. ... I would love to ask these questions of the Muslims and see where on Earth they bring this from, because I have read the Quran a million times.

Sun: What about nonviolent tactics? For instance, Gandhi, in India, was essentially at war with the British and, through nonviolent tactics, was able to resolve the conflict there.

Jarrah: We should never give up any goodwill or ideas or anything, but Gandhi struggled. He did not wake up one day in the morning and say, "Oh, OK: nonviolence." He struggled first with himself, disciplined himself. And then he really struggled to spread his message among his people, who were being abused and terrorized and murdered by ... the British Empire.
... I am saying that nonviolence in general or peace or diplomacy are much tougher to achieve than war. It is much more difficult to make peace than it is to make war. It is much more difficult to be nonviolent, to be peaceful, to be friendly or to discipline yourself from doing terrible things. ... If we want to discuss more politically vis a vis this case, it is quite complicated. The situation is complicated. The location is complicated.

Sun: You are speaking of?

Jarrah: Afghanistan. The incident is unprecedented, the consequences are new and strange. Whatever policy and whatever tactic the government will take, I would always just like them to have time to think. ... What I, as an educator, always teach my students is to take their time, take a breath, weigh every means possible, all options possible and then act. (You) must study what you have in your hands and not just act.

Sun: One more thing: Do you think you will be harassed in light of what has recently happened?
Jarrah: No. If you talk Port Charlotte, if it happens, it won't happen from someone I have met or I have talked to. ... If just one person says something, I would say, "Oh, gosh, he does not know anything." I would love to actually invite him for coffee and explain a little bit of who we are.