On the evening of Sept. 11, when people across the country mourned and plotted revenge, several ISU students met as friends to discuss the terrorist attacks on the United States.

One thing led to another, and the group formed Time For Peace, a student organization dedicated to educate and inform people of the alternatives to a violent resolution.

Omar Tesdell, sophomore in journalism and mass communication, and Nick Wethington, junior in English, led the meeting that night.

By the next morning, the group had created a Web site, and members were ready to distribute informational fliers.

The overall goal of Time for Peace is to have people recognize that violence creates problems instead of solving them. One of the group’s goals is to see terrorists brought to justice through an international court of law.

Time for Peace takes a completely nonviolent stance on all issues, said Tesdell, a Daily columnist and staff member.

“We have to get to the root of the hatred,” he said. “We need to flood Afghanistan with aid and halt the bombing.”

Jonathan Mullin, Time for Peace member, said violence is never the answer.

“You cannot fight an ideology with force,” said Mullin, junior in biochemistry. “The crusaders fought with swords and failed. The war on communism was fought with guns and failed. What makes us think bombs will be more effective against terrorism?”

Opting for peace, he said, does not mean the United States should take no action.

“We are advocating a response that lessens the loss of more lives, American and Afghanistan,” Mullin said.

Another member of the group, Basil Mahayni, said that as an Arab, he has the advantage of being able to look at both sides of the story.

“I wanted to help and this is my way of doing it,” said Mahayni, freshman in liberal arts and sciences. “I would like to see people act rather than react.”

The nonsecular group holds weekly vigils at 7 p.m. every Sunday on the west patio of the Memorial Union.

The vigils get students to spend time discussing the events of the week, Tesdell said. Members start each meeting with a moment of silence and reflection.

The group also meets at noon every Wednesday on Central Campus. Members pass out fliers and hold signs in protest of the fighting in Afghanistan, Tesdell said.

“We want to be able to engage in reasonable conversations with people, regardless of their beliefs,” he said. “When we leave we want to feel as though we have reached common grounds.”