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SUNNY Temp: 55 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 10, 2002 Abdullah and Salama Cabral of White City received some hate calls right after Sept. 11, but the American couple, who converted to Islam about 11 years ago, say they also received offers of protection afterwards. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Memories of hate A White City couple was subjected to the lash of prejudice after the Sept. 11 attacks, followed by some unexpected kindness By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Like all Americans, Abdullah and Salama Cabral were appalled by the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. "We were shocked this could happen in our country," he said. "It was devastating — such a horrible thing," his wife added. Then came the threatening telephone calls. Their modest home in White City serves as the business office for the Masjid Al-Tawheed, a mosque where the Cabrals and other Muslims in the Medford area worship. "They would call in the middle of the night, then hang up," said Abdullah, 63, who is legally blind. "They would say stupid things. They were belligerent, ignorant." And full of hate. The Cabrals unplugged their telephone for several tense days after the attack. When they plugged it back in, the nature of the calls had changed. Most people were now calling about their safety. "The Vietnam veterans group in Ashland called and asked if we wanted them to come down and watch the place," he said, adding that helped renew his faith in his fellow citizens. Yet for these Muslims, the long shadow of the terrorist attack nearly a year ago has never fully faded. Shortly after the attack, a utility worker on a job in the neighborhood asked Abdullah why he hated America. "Why would I hate America? How could I ever hate myself?" Abdullah answered, then added, "This is my country." The Cabrals fly an American flag in their living room. Both were born and reared in the Bay area of Northern California and represent the cultural melting pot of the United States. "She’s English and Swedish — I’m Portuguese and Spanish," he said of their ancestry. Salama’s mother was born in Talent and graduated from what is now Southern Oregon University. Salama, also known as "Bobbie," was raised Southern Baptist; her husband was raised Catholic. When he became a Muslim 11 years ago, she followed suit within a short time. The couple are now among a dozen Muslims who worship at the mosque along Table Rock Road. A larger mosque in Ashland draws the majority of Rogue Valley Muslims. Nationwide, there are some 10 million Muslims, he estimated. Their conversion to Islam changed their lives, the Cabrals say. "You get a different perspective on life," said Salama, who works as a hairstylist. "I see people I used to be really good friends with ... I don’t want to be around them because we no longer have anything in common. So many of them think only about drinking and partying. "There are better things in life than that," she added. Her husband of nearly 30 years agreed. "The best thing Islam did for me was stop my drinking," said the former house painter and truck driver. Like all Muslims, they pray five times a day and fast during the month of Ramadan late each year. On a stand below their American flag is a colorful copy of the Koran she received while in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in 1999. In Islam, a Muslim once in his or her life is expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. The trip is known as a hajj. The Koran does not condone terrorism or murder, he stressed. "Nothing would ever permit this," he said of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. "The few radicals like Osama bin Laden don’t represent the Muslim view. "About 1 percent may be radical, but the other 99 percent get blamed for it," he added. Islam is a religion of mercy which does not condone maiming or murdering defenseless civilians, he reiterated. That message has yet to reach some, he said. During a vacation to Washington state earlier this year, he was dressed in Western clothes but wore a turban. "We sat down in a restaurant for dinner — we sat there for an hour and were never served," he said of a restaurant in the Spokane area. "The same thing on the Columbia River," he added of a stop at The Dalles. "We stopped for breakfast at this nice little place. We sat there for an hour. No service." While he sees it as ignorance that anyone would brand all Muslims as terrorists, he has since replaced the turban with a small prayer cap known as a kufi. "Things have kind of settled down," he said. "But we still get a little nervous sometimes. When I go out to the mailbox, I don’t stand in front of it when I open it." Yet his wife believes understanding is spreading in the year since the terrorist attack. "I’ve found the girls I work with have became more interested in my religion," she said. "Some of my customers that know I’m a Muslim also became more interested." She appreciates the fact people are openly asking questions about their faith. "But it’s awful that something like this had to happen to get people interested," she added. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S