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I've re-read the posts and I don't see that we're saying all middle-eastern people are like the man who was deported. Instead, I see people who are afraid of the deception being used by terrorists to accomplish their aims. It sounds like your cultural upbringing has taught you that a person must be treated innocent until he (or she) shows otherwise. This belief is probably tied in some way to a "judgment" (whether presided over by gods or your own conscience) to which you will be subject after you die.

Although I respect your opinion on this, there are many more who feel that their "judgment" will consign them to their own version of torment if they allowed themselves to be deceived and let an enemy kill who knows how many because they decided to trust. Keep some perspective on this and look beyond what you see. Otherwise, you'll fall into the same trap you're accusing others of.

However, I do know that both Americans and other Jordanian students thought he was strange, and have for some time. The general impression (whether accurate or not I cannot say) was that he was just trying to get attention--perhaps this is why he had no formal training and had never been contacted by a terrorist organization.

Source, please? Friends, family, specific fellow students (i.e. had the guy in thus-and-such class), etc. Also, please post sources for the numbers you gave.

Sure thing, the source for number of total and number of international students was the alumni magazine, Winter 2002. In terms of percent ME students, like every one else's, this was a guess. I'm basing my guess on the people I personally encounter on campus but it is purely a guess.

As to sources for people who knew this guy, they are classmates of mine who are also from Jordan and knew him personally and an American friend who was a friend of his.

You're partially right in saying that my attitude comes from a cultural belief ("innocent until proven guilty"--I'm sure it was driven into my head in some political science class along the way). Also it's moral ("do unto others as you would have them do unto you"). And also it's also driven by the fact that I have many friends who are international students (given the large percentage of the student body that's international) and that influences the way I respond in situations that potentially affect them, like this one does.

Having just found out about this from some of said friends before I read this forum, the things that stuck out to me were comments like "they were spoiled little brats, to put it politely." (referring to all ME students at UTA)

"I'm transferring to UT-A soon, why the hell do these guys keep popping up there?" (they don't, really; the Center Street Mosque is a different issue.)

"We need to stop all Mideast immigration and Muslim immigration immediately. Send all Muslims and Mideasterners that are not American citizens home. Then we can watch the Muslim/Arab citizens that are left." (but how to do this without the government spying on us too?)

"To tell you the truth, I wish we would deport ALL of the ME types ASAP! And seal our borders with NO immigration!"

"Most of the people where this guy came from use such twisted, ignorant, barbaric "logic." They are brainwashed and full of hate." (maybe true, I don't know. The "most" doesn't seem true for the ones I've seen here.)

"I do know that it's a year after 911 and there are still no procedures in place for getting these nutbars out of America and it drives me friggin nuts. Any one of these guys I go to school with could be the next Mohammed Atta"

Having reread the posts myself, you're right, the vast majority of them sounded more fair. And reading them from the perspective of fear helps me understand those that didn't. Having further considered the issues, I would concede that if/when we go to war with Iraq, first, I probably should be less trusting.