Sponsored by the faculty and students of the Social Sciences Division of Tusculum, the forum was the first the division hopes to host about current issues, said the evening's moderator, Dr. Donal Sexton, the Janet Anderson Lunstedt professor of history at Tusculum.

Faculty members of the Social Sciences Division on the panel offered a historical perspective on the recent events and their knowledge of the Middle East and Islam, while stressing that they are not experts in those specific areas.

Panelists included Dr. Jennifer E. Brooks, assistant professor of commons and history; Dr. John T. Ellisor, assistant professor of history; and Dr. James F. Reid, professor of political science.

Many people point to the United States' support of Israel as a primary reason for the targeting of this country by extreme Muslim groups, but America also represents to them a materialism and culture that is contrary to Islam, Dr. Reid said. "There is also the history of imperialism and colonialism in that region by western countries that sets many people there against the United States," he said. "They have never known democracy. They are searching for answers and are finding them in fundamentalism."

The Taliban, the ruling party in Afghanistan, also believes it was fighting for the United States in the war against the Russians in the late 1970s and 1980s, but America did not provide aid to rebuild the country after the war was over, although the U.S. had provided weapons to the Afghans in the war, Dr. Ellisor said.

Dr. Jafar Alavi, an economics professor at East Tennessee State University in the audience, said that the Koran, Islam's holy text, sets conditions for a jihad, a holy war. These include that the conflict not involve attacks against older people, women, children, buildings and unarmed individuals, all elements found in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said Alavi, who was born in Iran.

"This is not a religious attack, it is political," he said

In response to the question of where the country should go from here, Dr. Ellisor said the United States has to do something to help stabilize the economy in the Middle East to help prevent the conditions that can breed as well as the maintain good relations with the governments that have been cooperative to the West.

The panel was asked how the United States could bring those supported the terrorists, whether or not it was Bin Laden, to justice while avoid making them martyrs.

Dr. Brooks said that the United States has, she hopes, learned from the Vietnam War to have a better understanding of the people and circumstances in a region. It is also interesting, she continued, that there appears to be a hesitancy by many people about taking action until there is absolute proof against Bin Laden or whoever was behind the attack.

The government and military do seem to have a better understanding of the Middle East, Dr. Ellisor said. "If we do the intelligent thing, we will recognize the great diversity in Afghanistan and the Middle East and use that to our advantage."

Actions against terrorists will have to be taken in their sphere of operation, he said. "It has to be fought where they come from and how they conduct war."

Questions were also asked about the changes in civil liberties for Americans that the war against terrorism may bring. The panelists told the audience to remember that in times of war, some of the liberties of Americans have historically been curtailed, but there is a question now if some changes would be permanent.

It remains to be seen if Americans will accept some of the steps that the government may want to take in surveillance to prevent terrorism, such as monitoring e-mails and phone conversations, the panelists agreed.

Most people believe that there has to be a balance between civil liberties and national security, Dr. Reid said. Numerous countries live with the fear terrorism every day, he said. "The question is: will this country let that happen?"

During this discussion, Dr. Kirpal Mahal, a professor of physical education at Tusculum, asked the audience to learn about other cultures in the world so they will not respond in ignorance to people of other nationalities.

He said that members of his culture, the Sikhs, have been targets of violence and harassment in America since the terrorist attack, although the Sikhs not Muslim. Explaining that the Sikh religious beliefs are a combination the three major Abrahamic faiths (Christianity, Judiasm and Islam), Dr Mahal said that the Sikh Americans have become targets as they are

mistaken for Muslims because of their turbans and beards.