He wrote in an e-mail , “People need to differentiate between the actions of a select group of terrorists, and Arabs and Muslims, and not associate one with the other.”
President of the Harvard Society of Arab Students Rita Hamad ‘03 said that Sunday’s attack brings anti-Arab sentiment “a lot closer to home.”
“Arabs have been concerned and talking about the incident,” she said.
Tawfiq I. Ali ‘03, secretary of the Harvard Islamic Society, wrote in an email that he hopes “that community leaders and university officials will take appropriate steps to help protect the safety and liberty of Muslim Americans, Arab Americans, and South Asian Americans during these trying times.”
Meanwhile Sogand Zamani, a Muslim student at the Kennedy School of Government, said that “blaming a group of people for the suspected actions of one person is regretful and shows the degradation of America’s ideals.”