(19-Sep-01) From the roar of the collapsing towers to the silence in my home, I watched as New York grasped for life. First there was numbness; I was crippled from the shock. Then there was grief; I began to weep for the country. Finally, I was nauseous.

“Most evidence points to Osama Bin Laden. The Taliban is harboring Bin Laden,” stated a reporter. Blood drained from my body, and left me paralyzed. I was haunted of images of war and struggle in my birthplace, Afghanistan. Here, young and old fought not so much with weapons but with ammunition fueled by the desire to win the war against Communism. That is the Afghanistan I remember.

My family, along with many others, made the great escape from this war for what seems like a lifetime ago. We were the lucky ones.

Who could do such evil? asked one man. Not those who fought the Russians. Comprised of different nationalities, the Taliban governs the country now. They did not take over by popular rule, but rather by brutal force. The people they govern are dying from drought and starvation. They are extremists governing in the name of God. If the accusations against Bin Laden are true, then God does not support assassins.

Everyone is angry by Tuesday’s events, and rightly so, but to retaliate against those who are productive members of society and those who have lived here all of their lives makes me sick. Guilt by association, I hear stories of backlash against the Muslim community. I hear about slurs of hatred and acts of violence. Don’t they know we are Americans?

Last night, my family and I prayed for the victims. This morning, I’m not sure if I should leave my house. If America isn’t united now, then the enemy has truly won.

Mariam Omidi