In Aftermath of Sept. 11
Daughter of Local 387 Member Leads Fight Against Intolerance

Story by Jennifer John

For many Arab and Muslim students in the United States, the weeks after the Sept. 11 attack brought unexpected terror.

Brenda Abdellal is no exception.

She received an e-mailed death threat within two hours after the attack. She called police, but the e-mail couldn’t be traced. She was afraid to leave her apartment.

“I thought, ‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’ after the second plane hit,” said Abdellal, who was studying for her pre-law exams when she learned of the attack. “Then after the e-mail, I just asked ‘Why?’”

Abdellal, 20, a political-science and Arabic-Islamic studies major at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is president of the school’s Arab Students Association. She is of Egyptian descent and a practicing Muslim. She’s also the daughter of UAW Local 387 member Fathy Abdellal, an electrician at Ford’s Woodhaven (Mich.) Stamping Plant. Her mother, Mona, is a safety engineer for Ford Motor Co.

About a week after the attacks, Abdellal and members of U-M’s other international student groups organized a campus teach-in on hate crimes that drew 500 people. “I was so happy to see everyone come together,” she said. “It brought tears to my eyes.”

But one thing Brenda Abdellal never expected was to see her face on the cover of Newsweek.

The magazine’s Nov. 12, 2001, issue featured a cover story on how 9-11 has changed college students. Since then, she’s been interviewed by MSNBC, Fox News and The New York Times.

“There’s never been a question of whether to be proud of who I am,” said Abdellal, who was born in Dearborn, Mich., the nation’s largest Arab-American community. “For the first time in my life, I felt that people would think differently of me. But I can’t hide in my house because people may hate me for who I am.”

So she took action and organized the teach-in to spread the message of tolerance.

“People ask questions--my non-Muslim friends now ask things (about my religion) out of the blue--and they want to be educated,” she said. “You cannot just rely on TV or newspapers. By talking to people and educating them, they can educate others.”

Her group’s next project is a series of multicultural days on campus called “Being Proud of Who You Are.”

The Abdellal family couldn’t be more proud. “I am quite proud to see that my daughter is active in the world around her,” said her father, Fathy Abdellal, a UAW member for nearly 30 years. “She has many dreams and goals and with accomplishments like this so far, I am sure she will achieve them.”

With an interest in international law, Brenda Abdellal has always wanted to be a lawyer, and the events of 9-11 only reaffirmed her ambitions. “I want to make the world a better place,” she said.

Abdellal admitted that it was “pretty cool” to be featured on the cover of a national newsmagazine. She didn’t know she’d been among those selected for the cover photo until a reporter called back to check the spelling of her name.

“I said, ‘This is for the article, right?’ and the reporter said, ‘No, honey, it’s for the cover,’” Abdellal recalled with a laugh.

And how does she feel about her “15-minute” brush with fame? “My friends were happy for me, but it’s been very stressful. I’m glad it was only for 15 minutes.”