We, the international students at Iowa State University, are horrified, pained and angered by the death and destruction brought by the attacks on Sept. 11 upon New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. It’s time to pray for the departed souls and ask for strength to endure in such trying times.

The tragedy is undoubtedly a senseless attack on humanity. It is an atrocity that must under no circumstances go unpunished. We should also be concerned about the hatred and distrust it has generated.

A special effort is required to separate the present outrage about terrorism from its supposed roots in any particular religion.

This tragedy should not be associated with any nation and/or group. The distinction between the essentially peaceful message of Islam and the mindless perpetrators of terror, who claim to act in its name, can not be over-emphasized.

We hope people do not, out of anger and vengeance, indiscriminately retaliate in ways that bring about even more loss of innocent life.

The international students’ community has been able to blend itself into this loving and understanding Ames community, living in harmony through innumerable international and national crises and coming out stronger every time. Given how high passions are running, it is unrealistic to expect that everyone will act rationally. It is this inevitability that puts a special responsibility on all of us to support and take each other through this crisis.

We must strengthen our ties even further as a truly international community.

International Student Council

Iowa State University