|
For
immediate release --September 14, 2001. |
Attorney General Tom Miller issued the following statement regarding the possibility of reprisals against Iowans of Arab-American and other religious or ethnic backgrounds
The Attorney General advised people to report any harassment or suspicious activities to local police.Miller's statement: "As shock turns to anger about these horrible acts of terror, we must remain united as Iowans and Americans. We must hold on to our best values. The anger we feel toward the perpetrators of the terror must not be allowed to endanger innocent fellow Iowans. The rights and security of all our citizens must be fully respected, regardless of race, nationality, religion or ethnic background.
"We must bear in mind that these crimes are the responsibility of the individuals who committed them, not of ethnic or religious groups. Americans of every ethnic and religious heritage share intense depths of pain and anger at this attack, but now some feel deep anxiety about becoming the targets of hate and anger themselves. We must not succumb to destructive reactions that diminish us as people. We must channel our strong emotions into constructive paths of embracing one another, helping one another, and offering prayers for victims, their families and our nation."
[END of statement.]
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