Dave the Gnome --

I wouldn't worry about a February concert being "too close" to Al Hijra. Personally, my heart aches the most for the Middle Eastern and Arabic victims of this crime. They've been attacked, too, remember (I heard one statistic that said that there were 12,000 Pakistani citizens, guests of this nation, who were working at the World Trade Center on the day of the attack -- not to mention the *American citizens* who emigrated here from the Middle East). But many don't feel free to join the public grieving because they fear being attacked. Masques and Arab language newspapers have been attacked and threatened by some of their fellow Americans seeking revenge.

If this is going to be a concert for rememberance and peace, then maybe holding around Al Hijra would be a good idea -- remind people that no religion or race has a monopoly on hatred -- or on love.

Thoughts of comfort and healing to all.

Ann