Since the United States went to war against Iraq, President Bush has repeated over and over again that the United States has no problem with the people of Iraq, just their president, Saddam Hussein.

But some American people apparently haven't gotten the message. In a classic example of displaced anger, many Americans have decided to punish anyone who looks of Arab descent for events in the gulf.

The punishment has taken the form of verbal and physical assault. And the attacks have ranged from simple racial slurs to brutal violence. This kind of behavior is unfair.

During this time of crisis University campuses are not immune from this violence. And as institutions of education, colleges should take special care to protect students of Arab descent. Campus police should be on the lookout for these forms of harassment. Special counseling and support groups would be valuable to victims of racial harassment.

Much of this conflict is based on the assumption that all Arab-Americans object to U.S. policy in the gulf. However, whether or not Arab-Americans support the United States should not matter. After all, political freedom is the reason some left their homelands.

The 3 million Arab-Americans in the United States shouldn't have to declare which side they support simply because they or their ancestors came from the Middle East.

As a country of immigrants, the United States has always been especially susceptible to this tragic effect of war. A parallel can be drawn to Japanese- Americans in World War II. During that time, Japanese-Americans were imprisoned in camps and their property confiscated because of their heritage.

The only explanation for the current nationwide harassment of Arab-Americans is ignorance. Most Americans know very little about the Arab culture except the stereotypes.

Remember the problem is not with the people of Iraq and definitely not Arab-Americans. The war in the gulf doesn't need a new front at home.