THE ARTICLE in the Oct. 23 Metro section, “Details emerge on plot suspects,’’ is a perfect example of how seeds of fear are sown in a community. The FBI “released scant details,’’ but the subhead “Two young men reportedly met at Sharon mosque,’’ revealed plenty.
Can I trust my neighbors? Can my neighbors trust me? I went to the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon last Friday and listened to my neighbors. I heard concerns that their children would be shunned by their schoolmates. I heard fears that they would be considered terrorists by their neighbors. Everyone expressed horror about the possibility that their mosque was linked to terrorist activity.
Charges of terrorism are serious and make me fearful. But the fabric of our community is weakened every time we base our views of “the other’’ on fear. This is exactly the time to reach out to our neighbors, to share our dreams for our children, for ourselves, and for our community.
As we build relationships, our response to headlines such as this can shift. Instead of fearing a terrorist attack, we can call our neighbors and listen to their concerns and share our own. Instead of stereotyping a group of people, we can speak out together against violence and hatred. Together, we can build a community based upon a shared vision of a peaceful, civil society.
Janet Penn
Executive director
Interfaith Action Inc.
Sharon 
