There's no denying that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have created tension in the United States' Arab communities. But it's the everyday anecdotes — a nervous gas station clerk or a student forced to listen to a teacher ranting about "Islamic fascists" — that really illuminate this country's Arabphobia. Moustafa Bayoumi, associate professor of English at Brooklyn College, wants to share a few of these stories when he lectures on "How Does it Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young, Arab and Muslim in Brooklyn Today" at the University of Tampa. And considering the anti-Muslim flyers that appeared on several doorsteps in Seminole last week, Bayoumi couldn't have come at a better time. Thurs., Feb. 8, 5 p.m., Grand Salon-Plant Hall, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, free, ut.edu.
This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2007.
