Iraqi community post 9/11

Exiles in paterson anxiously wait to reunite with loved ones as u.s. launches war with Iraq

In March 2003, eighteen months after 9/11, a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq, aiming to overthrow the Saddam Hussein government. The invasion lasted just over a month, officially ending on May 1. U.S. military forces remained in Iraq until 2011, with the war's rationale primarily based on Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction and its perceived threat to the United States and its allies. South Paterson, often called Little Ramallah or Little Istanbul due to its large Arab and Turkish community, is home to an estimated Muslim population of over 30,000 people, including many Iraqi nationals. As the 2003 war unfolded, Paterson's Iraqi residents closely followed the news. Some worried about family members back home, while others, like exile Jabbar Alroumi, hoped for a post-Saddam government that would allow them to return to their homeland. Alroumi, residing in Paterson with fellow Iraqis he met, dreams of marrying his fiancée, Hadeer, in Basra. He saves money from his job pumping gas to facilitate his return home after the war. In South Paterson's Jerusalem Café, where Arabic is the predominant language, Alroumi watches Al-Jazeera, envisioning a new life with Hadeer. Despite feeling safe in Paterson's familiar Arab atmosphere, many Iraqi exiles feared arrest and surveillance by authorities. After 9/11, South Paterson experienced increased anti-Muslim harassment, with the FBI receiving numerous tips. This resulted in nationwide detentions, including 491 individuals in the New York area, with some housed at the Passaic County jail in Paterson.