Peace begins with a witness

  • Julie Muhlstein / Herald Columnist
  • Saturday, October 27, 2001 9:00pm
  • Local News

Look up the word "witness." Read the verb definitions.

Among them are: "to be present at; see personally" and "to testify to religious beliefs or faith."

Combine those. The gist is something like: to be there because of your beliefs.

Talk with Pam Wessel-Estes, a volunteer with the Human Rights Coalition for Snohomish County. She’ll tell you about the coalition’s Peaceful Witness Project.

"It began in the wake of Sept. 11," she said. "The goal is to offer volunteers to accompany or stand witness for any Middle Eastern, Muslim, Islamic individuals or groups who feel threatened or unsafe."

The notion of providing escorts to area Muslims was borrowed from a similar program in King County.

"There it’s called Watchful Eye, under the umbrella of the Seattle Council of Churches," said Wessel-Estes, former executive director of the Interfaith Association of Snohomish County.

The Human Rights Coalition, born several years ago of the Interfaith Association, "was basically designed to educate the community about hate crime, and hopefully to work in preventing hate crime," she said.

Since Sept. 11, many of us have wondered "What can I do?"

With donations, expertise and good wishes, people here have reached out to strangers devastated by the unthinkable attacks on the East Coast. At the same time, we have thought about the predicament of local Muslims.

"By and large, the overwhelming response has been positive and very compassionate, from the community at large, our neighbors, friends and schools," said Ibrahim Mohamed, a Snohomish County resident and member of the Dar al-Arqam Mosque in Lynnwood.

"Obviously, immediately following Sept. 11, people were horrified, shocked and saddened like anybody else," Mohamed said of the Islamic community. "They also were immediately and painfully aware of what it might mean to them. They knew it could mean harassment and intimidation.

"That happened to some degree. Some got hate mail and threatening phone calls. But the good outweighed the bad."

Wessel-Estes got a sense of that goodwill when she put out a call for Peaceful Witness volunteers. Nearly 40 people showed up for an orientation at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Everett.

"I was actually amazed," she said. "They heard about the guidelines, what they will and won’t do. They’re not supposed to be bodyguards. They’re encouraged to have a cell phone. Their role is to take down license plate numbers and other information, and assist in making a police report

Perpetrators of hate crimes and harassment, she said, "tend to be cowardly opportunists. If other people are present, they are not as likely to act."

"That exactly is the goal of the Peaceful Witness Project, to avoid anything happening in the first place," Wessel-Estes said.

A noble goal, but is there a need? So far, no one has made use of a Peaceful Witness.

Wessel-Estes said word is just getting out. The coalition has put up fliers and recently met with Iraqi women involved in a Pathways for Women/YWCA support group.

In a way, though, need is beside the point.

People wonder, "What can I do?" Being what Wessel-Estes calls "a witness in the world" is something we all can do.

"We all ought to be allies for one another. We ought to just do that in our normal day-to-day lives, to be ready to stand witness," she said.

Mohamed, who works at AT&T Wireless in Redmond, came to the United States 26 years ago. Born in Egypt to Libyan parents, he’s been a U.S. citizen for 14 years.

Since Sept. 11 and the ensuing strikes on Afghanistan, he said, "there’s been anxiety both in the Muslim community and the community at large.

"Armed conflict brings out different characteristics in different people," he said. "Somehow, it can bring out in people an impulse to go kick someone. That mentality is frightening and intimidating to anybody.

"Basically, it’s the dark side of humanity," Mohamed said. "We have had a great deal of support. But we can’t be lulled into thinking nothing is going to happen, because of that dark side of some people."

Mohamed, too, said it hardly matters whether or not Muslims need an escort. He understands the effort is more about building bridges.

"I think it’s a great program, very well meaning," he said. "In terms of people taking advantage of it, I think they’re going to need to get over cultural hurdles. But I applaud those volunteers who have come forward to participate.

"They are walking the talk, practicing what they preach."

To contact the Human Rights Coalition to request a Peaceful Witness Project escort, or to report an incident, call 425-258-8828.

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