Forum
focuses on Iraq, racial profiling
By Oscar Montealegre
On-line Forty-Niner
The
Cal State Long Beach Foundation Building
and the department of social work sponsored
a forum about alternatives to war with Iraq
and the impact of racial profiling Monday.
The focus of the forum covered the re-emergence
of racial profiling in the United States
and why the United States should not intervene
in Iraq by declaring war.
Nadim Karim, a Ph.D. graduate of forensics
psychology from Cambridge University, addressed
the effects and impact of racial profiling
that is occurring since post-Sept. 11. Larry
George, a political science professor and
director of the International Studies Program
spoke about why the United States should
not get into war with Iraq and why war does
not work.
“This is the first step perhaps for some
students in thinking that they are an important
part of the process,” said Susan Rice, head
coordinator in launching the forum. “I think
a lot of students see themselves as little
and unpowerful. What this forum can do is
make students realize that they have the
potential of being a part of the process.”
Karim concentrated on the notion that fighting
terrorism will not be solved by racial profiling.
He argued that the United States should
take a different approach in the present
conflict with terrorists and terrorism.
Karim said racial profiling and punishing
terrorists with violence are not the correct
and most effective tactics. Instead he suggested
that individuals should be more informed
and educated on sensitive issues such as
the racial profiling on Middle Eastern,
South Asian and Arab people.
“If racial profiling is there to prevent
terrorists, then how effective is it really?”
Karim said.
Dana Hubert, social work major and president
of the Associated Students of Social Work,
liked the presentation.
“It dealt a lot with the racial profiling
that Middle Eastern people are experiencing,”
Hubert said. “But racial profiling has gone
for years though, it is not a new subject
and we had allowed it to be ignored for
many years.”
George’s presentation covered why the United
States should go into war with Iraq. He
supported his argument by saying that the
war is legitimate only in the state of national
security. The government of Iraq or Saddam
Hussein is not threatening the national
security of the United States, George said.
“Iraq does not pose a clear and present
danger right now,” George said. “Iraq like
many other countries in the world poses
a distant danger to the United States and
its allies.”
He also argued that the cost of war would
be heavy for the U.S. government. In addition,
he said there are two types of war, wars
of self-defense and wars of aggression.
The United States would be seen as aggressors
if it declared war on Iraq.
“I think that the media and the general
consensus is that war is the only way. My
goal is to create awareness that there are
other ways,” Rice said.
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