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news
International
students leaving U.S.
By Jamie Rogers
On-line Forty-Niner
A Saudi Arabian
woman wearing traditional Islamic garb was walking through
Cal State Long Beach's campus. A man sneered and cursed at
her, according to Paul Lewis, director of the Center for International
Education at CSULB.
"She felt
intimidated," Lewis said. "Certainly anybody would.
She asked her brother to come to class with her the next day."
Later, she decided to return home to Saudi Arabia.
Out of fear and
a need to be near family, international students from the
Middle East are fleeing America's universities in remarkable
numbers.
"We have about
30 students from the Middle East who have left [CSULB],"
Lewis said. "In almost all cases it has been an issue
of their parents calling from the different countries in the
Middle East saying 'we are worried about you. It is an uncertain
time, we don't know what the future is holding exactly and
we want you close to home.'"
Although the Cal
State University system has not done a formal survey, Colleen
Bentley-Adler, spokeswoman for the CSU Chancellor's Office,
said she heard reports last week that approximately six international
students left Cal State Fullerton, three left Cal State Hayward,
25 left Cal State San Bernardino and 25 at Cal State Fresno.
CSU Chancellor
Charles Reed said during a teleconference on Sept. 24, that
he encourages international students to keep in close contact
with campus advisers and report any concerns they may have.
"Our campuses
are some of the safest places in the word," Reed said.
"The academic atmosphere is a place where we respect
all different points of view."
Bentley-Adler said
the Chancellor's Office is encouraging students to remain
in school, although she said they respect wishes of parents
who want their children to return home.
Lewis said he also
believes CSULB's campus is a safe place for international
students to remain.
"There have
been very few reported incidents of any kind of harassment
of international or Muslim students on campus," Lewis
said. "We feel the campus is a good place, a safe place,
a welcoming place for all our international students. That
seems to be what is reported as well. That said, when students
come to us and say 'I have made up my mind in conjunction
with talking with my family,' the last thing we want to do
is argue them out of that."
On campus, international
students may feel relatively safe, according to Lewis, but
off campus some have dealt with frightening experiences.
One student from
Cal State Fullerton was visiting a McDonalds off-campus. According
to Mohamed El Hadid, spokesman for the Muslim Student Association,
he returned home with a broken arm.
"There is
a lot of frustration and tension," El Hadid said. "Such
incidences make me feel unsafe."
El Hadid stressed
that most Middle Eastern and Muslim people are horrified by
the events of Sept. 11, and are deeply disturbed that their
religion is being associated with these terrorist acts.
"In Islam,
there is no such thing as committing suicide and getting a
reward for it," El Hadid said. "We have no such
teachings in Islam and strongly condemn it."
To deal with feelings
of frustration and fear among international students, Lewis
said he is urging students to visit the center to discuss
their thoughts.
"If you are
having any kinds of feelings you don't know how to deal with,
our councilors are here for you," he said. "We want
to talk to you, even if it just to lend a listening ear."
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