September 9, 2005

9/11 memories spur student’s involvement

For Yaser Alamoodi, ASU’s new Undergraduate Student Government president, 9/11 will be a date permanently etched in his mind.

Like others in the United States and across the world, his heart and mind will never shake the images of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon. Nor will he forget what happened afterward as many Americans turned their anger against the entire Middle East, as well as toward Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans.

Unlike many others whose lives moved forward with little change, however, Alamoodi found his calling in the aftermath of this tragedy.

"It was total shock. Not that such a thing took place, but the magnitude of it,” he says. “The proportions of the damage in human life first and everything else second brought to my attention the need to play a pro-active role in addressing issues ranging from human rights to U.S. foreign policy, and even religious reformation topics. That’s when I realized that I could contribute.”

Alamoodi, 28, is a citizen of Yemen who grew up in Saudi Arabia. He has lived in the United States since 1996 when he attended junior college in Santa Monica, Calif. He transferred to ASU in 2001 to pursue a degree in economics.

Alamoodi says he was always interested in politics and public affairs. It was something that his family emphasized and encouraged, but he did not think he could make a living out of it. His career aspiration, at the time, was investment banking.

"Remember that those years we had the Internet bubble, so it was some exciting times,” he says. “Nevertheless, the post-9/11 world brought to mind that there are more important things than stock prices.”

Alamoodi began reading more about U.S. politics and immersed himself in topics like religion and women’s studies to try to get a grasp on what was happening both in the Middle East and in his adopted country.

"In regards to Saudi Arabia, where I was born and grew up, it awakened me to the amount of extremism that surfaced,” he says. “It’s a very conservative place, but not violent. In regards to the U.S., my feelings have been simply mixed, yet hopeful for the better. The uniqueness of this country should never be ignored. Strong democratic traditions, vibrant economy, and most importantly a passion for ideas was always what I associated the U.S. with mentally.

"Yet I was disappointed with the aftermath of 9/11,” Alamoodi continues. "Treatment of Arab-Americans and Muslim-Americans, the war in Iraq, the sudden change in mood in the country was a wake-up call for me to a simple fact; that the ‘American Dream’ is an on-going concern that should be maintained, protected and strengthened every once in a while in the face of challenges from without, as well as within.”

It was a trip back to Saudi Arabia in 2002 that would be the definitive turning point for Alamoodi. Unable to return to the United States for eight months because of tightened visa regulations, the future he had planned for himself began to unravel. Almoodi says he became depressed, unsure of what he would do if he couldn’t return.

Eventually, he got the clearance to return, and he did so with a passion to get involved. He wanted to play a more active role in counteracting radicalism and in spreading democracy. He changed his major to political science and religious studies. He joined the Young Democrats and got involved with the ACLU, the NAACP and Amnesty International. He led the ASU delegation to the Harvard Model United Nations conference in 2002.

In 2004 Alamoodi decided to run for USG president with running mate Corinne Widmer. It was a hard-fought race, but they mobilized many of the groups on campus that felt outside the “establishment” and won.

Now, Alamoodi is focused on getting college students involved in the political process, both on campus, in their communities and in their country.

"In Saudi Arabia, democracy and everything about it doesn’t exist. Free speech, assembly, the things in this country people hold dear,” he says. “Yet when people here don’t vote, they seem to be saying they don’t care that democracy exists.”

Alamoodi hopes to get more ASU students involved in the world around them. He says a campus environment is a good place to start building a democratic ethic. Among his goals are to create a full-fledged Model United Nations program on campus, increase voter registration, and generate programming to encourage debate over issues students care about.

Alamoodi is also interested in spreading democracy outside the campus. His ambitious plans include connecting with local high school student governments, as well as with students in the Middle East and northern Africa.

"The idea is that democratic ethics and ideas could be solidified on college campuses here and abroad,” he says. “We intend upon reaching out to college councils and student governments to work on common issues and concerns together. That way, we could make students overseas aware of the benefits of a democratic process.”

Alamoodi also wants to bring to campus a student perspective and hopes to invite student leaders from other countries to ASU. “Students could relate more to students,” he says.

When he graduates, Alamoodi says he will seek new ways to be involved in the world. The Peace Corps or Teach for America are avenues he is exploring, as well as lobbying on civil rights issues.

ASU religious studies faculty associate Charles Barfoot would like to see Alamoodi receive his Ph.D. in religious studies at ASU and consider teaching in the new Department of Global Studies.

"Yaser stands out as a role model in the fact that while he is very passionate about his causes, he is very willing to listen and talk across those drawn lines in the sand,” Barfoot says. “I’m impressed by is desire to bring people of all faiths together for discussion and dialogue. He leaves no one out of his circle of influence.”