International students react to plane attacks

Within hours of a terrorist attack on the U.S. Tuesday, two international students were verbally assaulted and one physically assaulted, an IU official reported. But other students say they're not concerned about possible ethnicity-based harassment.\nWith an international student population of more than 3,200 at Bloomington and professors and visiting scholars from many other nations, IU registers the reaction of a world of people affected by the shock and violence of Tuesday's events.\nAssociate Dean of International Programs Kenneth Rogers said IU President Myles Brand's statement detailing his concern for all IU students was transmitted to international students Tuesday. \nSecurity has been increased on all campuses, especially around international facilities, according to a press release from the Office of Communications. \nAdvisers on campus are prepared to deal with harassment issues if they arise, Rogers said.\nAs of Tuesday afternoon, Rogers said he heard of accounts of student assault, stemming from prejudices and anger influenced by the plane attacks. Two Muslim women were verbally assaulted and one was possibly physically assaulted, Rogers said.\n"Recalling what's happened on occasions in the past, people who seem to just be unable to control their emotions and their prejudices take the occasion to take it out on someone perceived to be foreign," Rogers said.\nDespite the attacks, international graduate student Atcharee Seetapun said she did not feel threatened. \nSeetapun, a resident of Eigenmann Hall, said she did notice two IU Police Department officers standing outside of the building. She learned of the attack early in the morning from a friend. \n"I didn't think something like this would happen in America," said Seetapun, who is originally from Thailand. \nStudent Essah Sharifi, whose parents are from Afghanistan, said everyone he has talked to has been open-minded about the events and he carries no extra concern. Sharifi also said people should not link Osama bin Laden to Afghanistan, since he is not actually Afghan. He feels it is unfortunate bin Ladin can give an entire country a bad name. \nThe Commission On Multicultural Understanding received calls Tuesday from international students who were afraid to leave their buildings, some of whom wear traditional dress, said COMU Chair and Associate Dean of Students Pam Freeman. She stressed that students should not be fearful.\nIn the event of an assault, Freeman encourages students to contact COMU's Racial Incidents team or the police. Students can reach the Racial Incidents team by e-mailing reportit@indiana.edu or calling COMU at 855-4463 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. \nCOMU will likely be organizing events through its "Teachable Moments Committee," a group that plans projects to educate around significant issues. \nRogers said he and his staff are also prepared to take action for those students who may not be comfortable talking to law enforcement, and although concerns exist, Bloomington is still a safe community. \nStaff reporter Rachel Kipp contributed to this story.