Reports from New York have three more Guyanese listed as missing in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center twin towers. They are Vanava Thompson, Gregory John and Ameena Rasool. Rasool worked with the Marsh and Maskan Insurance Company on the 98th floor of one of the two twin towers. No other information was available for Thompson and John.

And late yesterday evening, Surendra Jaggernauth of Free Yard, Port Mourant reported that his father, Ricknauth Jaggernauth who had been employed at NTX Interiors on the 104th floor of one of the towers had not been seen since Tuesday. He said that his father resided at 164 Pennsylvania Ave, Brooklyn, and his relatives in the US were broken up about his continued absence.

Meanwhile, in addition to suffering the uncertainty of not knowing whether those reported missing will turn up alive, Guyanese are also suffering the backlash of the anger, frustration and intolerance generated by the terrorist attacks.

Guyana's Ambassador to the United States, Dr Odeen Ishmael told Stabroek News that the consulate in New York had received reports that Guyanese nationals wearing traditional Muslim garb had been the butt of insults and slurs. Arab-Americans and Moslems have been attacked, physically and verbally by some Americans in the wake of Tuesday's attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Dr Ishmael said that he had received a complaint from the consulate that at least one family had reported that they had to take their daughters out of school, located in Queens New York, because of the remarks made to them by their classmates. Dr Ishmael said he understood that the children wore Muslim garb.

So widespread are the attacks that the US House of Representatives yesterday unanimously condemned violence against Arab-Americans in the wake of terror attacks in New York and Washington.

A Reuters report said that there have been reports of vandalism, threats and other kinds of bias. Incidents have increased as the federal probe into the air attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon pointed toward a Middle Eastern connection and the group of militants led by Saudi-born exile Osama bin Laden.

It said the incidents led to a non-binding resolution by Rep. David Bonior, a Michigan Democrat, condemning acts of `bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims and South Asians.

It said too that on Thursday US President George W. Bush had also appealed for tolerance, urging, "[We] should not hold one who is a Muslim responsible for an act of terror."

Meanwhile, one Guyanese who is thankful that the air service between Guyana and North America is so bad is Albert Barnwell who came to Guyana on August 25, and was due back at 2200 hrs on the Monday evening. Barnwell, who worked with American Building Maintenance (ABM) could not get a flight out on BWIA. Had he left, he would most likely have been in the southern tower on the 35th floor where he would have gone to collect his paycheck. That office, he said, didn't really get going until 0900 hrs. The south tower was hit by the second of the hijacked aircraft at 0903 hrs after the first plane had slammed into the north tower at 0848 hrs.

Meanwhile, Dr Ishmael said that it was still a difficult task to get information about the Guyanese who were missing even though a number of wakes were being held in Brooklyn.

He said that the relatives of most of those missing were still clinging to the hope, faint though it may be, that the missing ones would somehow be found alive.