"I AM NOT THE ENEMY"
Mark Vallen 2001
Pencil on paper

Artist's statement:

"After the terror attacks of September 11th, thousands of hate crimes against those who 'look Arab' were reported all across America. In order to help counter such hatred and intolerance, I created an artwork meant for wide public distribution. The drawing was a simple portrait of an Islamic woman combined with the words: 'I AM NOT THE ENEMY'. The artwork was reproduced as a street poster and circulated in Los Angeles and beyond.

My drawing was meant to remind viewers that Moslems, Arabs, and people of Middle Eastern descent are not the enemy. Many people from the Middle East have come to the United States to escape repression, terror, and war. The fact that these innocent people could be targeted by misguided Americans is a cause for great shame."