Newly formed student group Northwestern Opposing War and Racism held a “speak-out” at The Rock on Wednesday to protest the recent U.S.-led bombings in Afghanistan.

Approximately 50 students stopped at noon to listen to NOWAR speakers and to share their thoughts about the bombings that began Sunday. NOWAR member Naureen Shah began by saying she was opposed to the killing of civilians.

“It’s not because we’re against war but because we’re against military action against innocent people,” said Shah, a Medill sophomore. “This disregard for human life is something that we now share with Osama bin Laden.”

Shah said she thinks the Sept. 11 attacks were planned by an international group and that the U.S. government’s search for bin Laden has a “narrow focus.” She said the United States needs more surveillance to find the terrorists’ financial networks and camps.

Speech sophomore Danielle Ongart stressed the importance of avoiding “racial scapegoating” of Muslims. NOWAR handed out green armbands representing “solidarity with Muslims and seeking peace,” said member Chris Sherman said.

The Muslim-cultural Student Association painted The Rock green and white Tuesday night with the words “NU Muslims, pray for peace.”

The purpose of the speak-out was to “encourage people to open their minds,” Sherman said. NOWAR members were planning to pass out fliers with information about the group, but the plan was canceled because of confusion about an e-mail, he said.

Weinberg senior Neel Ahuja said the group held the speak-out to respond quickly to the recent bombings. NOWAR also wanted to establish a presence on campus.

“I thought it was good to have people out there talking about it,” Ahuja said. “There hasn’t been much discourse yet.”

According to Ahuja, members have discussed alternatives to war, including the implementation of a U.N. law enforcement group and an international criminal court system. Nevertheless, he said the opinions within the group vary, and members plan to research the issues in greater depth.

Both Ahuja and Sherman expressed disappointment with the administration’s response to the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Ahuja credited them with taking steps to reach out to student groups that may be dealing with racism as a result of Sept. 11. But Sherman said the response has come largely from the student body.

“I am underwhelmed with Northwestern’s response,” Sherman said. “Most events that have dealt with it have been initiated by students, which isn’t bad, but I wasn’t grossly impressed with the administration.”

According to Sherman, students formed NOWAR two weeks ago because they felt no existing campus groups addressed anti-war issues directly. One of the group’s aims is to educate people about the situation in Afghanistan and the Middle East, Sherman said.

NOWAR members are still discussing the group’s organizational scheme, but Sherman said he expects membership to grow as more people learn about the group. About 30 to 40 students attended the group’s first two meetings, he said.

Hanna Kim, who attended the speak-out, said she doesn’t necessarily agree with NOWAR’s message but was glad to see the activism on campus.

“I’m excited to see this kind of activism because I didn’t think Northwestern was very active,” said Kim, a Medill freshman. “It’s nice to see that they care.”

She also said she was concerned about backlash from the Sept. 11 attacks.

“When the World Trades were hit, I thought, please don’t let the terrorists be North Korean,” said Kim, who is a Korean American. “I know that sounds selfish, but when you look at how Muslims, even a Sikh man, have been attacked, I think my fear is justified.”