Newspaper Page Text
TUESDAY
September 18, 2001
Vol. 109, No. 22 | Athens, Georgia
Partly cloudy.
High 82 | Low 59 | Wednesday 92
ONLINE: www.redandblack.com
An independent student newspaper serving the University of Georgia community
ESTABLISHED 1893, INDEPENDENT 1980
DOW PLUMMETS
>• The Stock Market
takes a dive on its first
day of business since last
week’s attack. PAGE 2
AMERICA ON ALERT
One week later
Panel says U.S. should be
more aware of other cultures
PHOTOS BY BROOKE MORRIS | The Red . Black
▲ Loch Johnson, left, a political science professor at the University, speaks at
Tuesday’s forum as Gary Bertsch, forum moderator and the director for the
University’s Center for International Trade and Security, listens. Right: Passers-
by stop at the Arch to pay their respects to those who were killed in Tuesday’s
attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
By AMBER BILLINGS
abiUings@randb.com
U niversity experts have called for an
increase in global awareness to counter
rising anti-American feelings across the
globe.
University students, faculty, staff and
Athens residents packed into the University
Chapel Monday afternoon to hear six pan
elists’ opinions on what the United States
should be doing in response to the Sept. 11
terrorist attack and how to possibly retaliate.
Han Park, a panelist and political science
professor, said there is a growing anti-
American sentiment throughout the world.
“The reason why the U.S. is often targeted
is because we are revered, respected and
envied around the world,” he said.
In order to remove those feelings, Park and
Loch Johnson, a panelist and Regents profes
sor of political science, said the United States
should be more accommodating to people of
different cultures.
They also said the nation should use its
wealth to help build schools and hospitals, so
it can help close the gap between the rich and
the poor.
During the discussion, Johnson said who
ever was responsible for the attacks will be
apprehended one way or another.
“If the murderers, in their ghostlike cells ...
if they resist, may heaven make true ghosts
out of them,” he said.
But Park said the terrorists should not be
labeled as madmen.
“They’re calculating and premeditating.
We need to go down under their skin — we
need to analyze them,” he said. “(But) it’s
important that we need to pull out the weeds
and not kill the grass.”
Before the United States enters into war,
Jeffrey Berejikian, a panelist and assistant
professor of political science, said a code of
morals must be established.
For example, he said during war, the killing
of civilians is almost inevitable.
“War forces us to confront difficult issues,
which aren’t often played out in comments by
our national leaders,” Berejikian said. “Good
moral reasoning is up to us.”
Alan Godlas, a panelist and associate pro
fessor of religion, said the group involved in
the attacks is part of a militant Muslim
extremist movement.
“Suicide is utterly forbidden by Islam. War
must be declared by the state,” he said. “The
meaning of Islam is to surrender to God.
Each who surrenders produces peace. The
root and product of Islam, if lived sincerely, is
peace.”
Americans should take more time out to
become educated about the conditions
Muslims are under in Asia and the Middle
East, Godlas said.
“We should be talking with Muslims from
abroad and learn ways we can help alleviate
some of their problems,” he said.
Godlas also said only 20 percent of the
world’s Muslims are Arabic.
“There are 8 million Muslims in the United
States,” he said. “They are overwhelmingly
peace loving people and shared our shock and
despair. They know that terrorism in the
name of Islam is a perversion of their most
sacred beliefs.”
Meri Graeff, a junior from Atlanta, said she
was glad the University decided to hold a
forum.
“We’re not in New York or D.C., so I feel
separate with what’s going on,” she said. “I
feel more connected to the problem now, and
it’s good to know that I might be a part of the
solution.”
Asian nations backing Bush
By MELANIE HORTON
mhorton@randb.com
Several Asian countries are supporting
President George W. Bush as he rallies to build
a worldwide coalition against terrorism.
Asian countries, including Pakistan,
Bangladesh, China, Malaysia and South Korea
have pledged both logistical and moral back
ing despite the fact that a majority of these
countries have a Muslim-dominated popula
tion.
Pakistan, in particular, has expressed strong
support for a United States attack against
Afghanistan, its neighboring country.
Sunday, Pakistani officials warned Mullah
Mohammed Omar, Afghanistan’s supreme
ruler, to turn over Osama bin Laden or face a
U.S. attack. Bin Laden is the primary suspect
of Tuesday’s terrorist attack.
Pakistani envoys met with Taliban officials
and Omar on Monday, again demanding that
Afghanistan hand over bin Laden.
“Time is short, and you (the Taliban) should
solve this problem,” said Aziz Khan, a member
of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry.
Sources indicate it is unlikely the Taliban
will surrender bin Laden.
The Pakistani military said there were
“unusual movements” of Taliban troops and
Scud missiles near the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border.
Also, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees’ Office on Monday
said Afghans fleeing the country for fear of an
American attack are making worse an already
“catastrophic” humanitarian crisis.
Though Iran closed its borders following
last week’s terrorist attacks, up to 10,000
Afghans have fled to the country in the past
few days, according to government officials.
>■ See ATTACK, Page 3
What’s in a name? Local music duo faces tough decision
► Dan Geller
and Amy
Dykes, who
make up the
duo I Am
The World
Trade
Center, pur
chased this
painting by
pop artist
Steve Keene
in New York
two years
ago. Geller
says he
thinks the
World Trade
Center is the
perfect rep
resentation
of “what
people are
capable of.”
KIM
| The Red a Black
By CHRIS HASSIOTIS
variety@randb.com
Dan Geller sighs, and
leans back in his chair in the
offices of Kindercore
Records. “I don’t really know
what we’re going to do,” he
says. “The pressure is build
ing. It’ll be difficult.”
As local electroni-pop duo
I Am The World Trade
Center, Geller and partner
Amy Dykes must, in light of
last week’s tragedies, decide
to keep, scrap or alter the
name.
“If it means we’re going to
hurt people’s feelings, I
guess we’ll change it,” says
Dykes, “But at the same
time ...” She glances out the
window. She doesn’t finish
the thought.
Geller sighs. “The thing
is,” he explains, “we’re totally
in love with the name. I
came up with it because the
Twin Towers are such an
inspiration to us, and
because they’re so dear to
us. It’s a name of respect and
love.”
When the two lived in
New York, he says, they
would drive across the
Brooklyn Bridge every day,
and the World Trade Center
dominated their view.
“We came to identify very
strongly with the towers,”
says Geller. “There were the
two of them, and the two of
us — I always said to myself
that the day I stop being in
awe of the towers would be
the day I would move away
from New York.”
Geller moved to Athens
before that happened. “But
the images have always
stuck with me,” he says, and
sighs. “I always thought of
(the World Trade Center) as
a perfect representation of
what people are capable of.”
The duo was to play in
New York this past weekend
as part of the CM J Music
Marathon festival, and has
rescheduled their dates for
October. However, Geller
says, no venues will allow the
group to perform with its full
name, and it will most likely
play as I Am The ..., the
same name that will be on
the 40 Watt Club’s marquee
Saturday when the group
performs there.
“We could be ‘I Am
The says Dykes. “But is
that right, or is that
disrespectful?”
Feedback from fans has
been divided. Some fans sup
port keeping the name out of
respect, some object. “Some
people have sent really angry
e-mails,” says Geller, “Those
are mostly from people
searching the Internet and
finding us. One fan suggest
ed we change the name to I
Miss The World Trade
Center.”
The duo will donate a por
tion of the proceeds from
their album “Out of the
Loop” to the United Way of
I AM THE ...
What: “Live in the Lobby”
When & Where: Tonight at 8,
WUOG 90.5 FM
For more information, call
542-4567
What: Live performance
Playing with: Harmar Superstar,
Triangle
When & Where: Saturday,
the 40 Watt Club
Tickets: $5
For more information, call
549-7871
New York’s Sept. 11 Rind.
“Those buildings were so
important. I won’t even
know which way south is
when I’m in New York,”
Geller says. He glances at
Dykes. “I don’t know what
we should do.”
She looks back. She
doesn’t know either. They
both know a decision must
soon be made.
INSIDE TODAY | News: 2 | Opinions: 4 | Variety: 7
Sports: 10 | Crossword: 3