The View of Muslims and Arabs in America Before and After September 11th

The View of Muslims and Arabs in America Before and After September 11^th

Webpage by Heather Jolls, Anita Alaverdian ,Lindsay Adams, and Roselle Silva

Facts About Muslims and Arabs in America:

There is much that is misunderstood about Arabs and Muslims in America.
Most Arabs in America are not Muslim.
Most Muslims are not Arab.
Most Arab Americans came from Lebanon and Syria
Most Muslim Americans are African American or from South Asia.
Many of the early Arab immigrants assimilated well in American society
Like other ethnic groups in America, Arabs and Muslims have produced many successful American whose ethnic background is merely an afterthought.
The income of Arab Americans is among the highest if any American ethnic group-second only to that of Jewish Americans.
The enormity of the horror, the Middle Eastern background of the terrorists, the terrorists’ attempt to use religion to justify their acts have inevitably led to episodes of discrimination against Arabs and Muslims.

An Identity View:

In a New York Times article appearing a week after the horror that befell America on September 11, a Muslim woman described her dilemma this way: "I am so used to thinking about myself as a New Yorker that it took me a few days to begin to see myself as a stranger might: a Muslim woman, an outsider, perhaps an enemy of the city. Before last week, I had thought of myself as a lawyer, a feminist, a wife, a sister, a friend, a woman on the street. Now I begin to see myself as a brown woman who bears a vague resemblance to the images of terrorists we see on television and in the newspapers. I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for men who look like Mohamed Atta or Osama bin Laden."

(http://www.brookings.edu/press/REVIEW/winter2002/telhami.htm)

With the disassembling of the Taliban’s insidious reign in Afghanistan,
so came the dissolution of many of its fundamental laws. Due to the
treatment of women during the Taliban’s rule, the world media soon
became aware of the restrictive laws and policies concerning women’s
rights, or lack there of. Unfortunately, American society tends to now
stereotype Arab-American women as veiled, docile, home bound victims,
and also, many times, automatically assume that they’re Muslim, when
studies have shown otherwise.

TALIBAN INFLUENCES:

During the Taliban's reign, many invasions into the domestic lives of
its citizens were made with the scriptures of the Koran as their key.
Although highly misinterpreted, some would argue, justifications were
made by the claim that Islamic law, or Sharia, applied to all aspects
of life, including the home.  This allowed Taliban forces to use
surveillance and other monitoring "strategies" to ensure citizen's
compliance with Sharia.  When addressing the laws put in place for
women, a different approach was taken.  Laws such as the restriction of
women's faces in public, the requirements of male chaperones in public,
and the forbidding of women washing clothes in their local rivers,
were put in place in support of privatization.  These laws were now
justified by deeming the acts as an intrusion of domesticity into the
public. (The Taliban, Women, and the Hegelian Private Shpere. Social
Research. Fall 03. Vol. 70, No.3)

BEFORE:

Muslim feminism was on a rise.  Arab-American women were owning their
ethnicity, while questioning the religious influences within their
culture.  It has been found that the connections Arab-American women
have with their ethnicity and religion are not determiners of their
identity.  Rather, they are components of several conditions that
contribute to their identity, such as immigration status, marital
status, and the level of relevance connected to scripture.  In fact,
the same study showed that one-third of Arab-American women practice
Christianity and show the same results as those of Muslim beliefs.
Through the eyes of feminism, many American Muslim women have sought
ways of reforming the religion in order to sync with their own
traditions or have looked to infuse other religions, such as
Christianity, to accommodate them more appropriately.  But some have
taken the option of  completely abandoning the religion, claiming that
it does not promote the equality of all human beings.

AFTER:

The attack on the World Trade Centers brought more attention to the
small population of Arab-American communities than they could have ever
dreamed.  As the dust settled, people's views remained scattered.  A
new witch hunt was in effect and any means of determining the
identification of the culprit would be accepted.  Unfortunately, the
wonderfully decorated scarves, or burquas or hijabs, became the
easy-to-spot target for hatred.  For months following the attack,
Muslim women were forced to hide in their homes to avoid harassment and
violence and those that chose, or had to, go into public would wear
their scarves in a manner that could not be recognized as being
affiliated with their religious beliefs.  Furthermore, when responses
from the Islamic community were given concerning the devastating
events, the women of Islam were silenced.  (Lester 2003)

PATRIOTISM:

In the name of patriotism, rash decisions have been made throughout the
country, and at all levels of power.  It should be known, though, that
of ALL the misinterpretations and misunderstandings that surround
September 11, 2001, many Muslim Americans celebrated their patriotism
by valuing a country that allows anyone to observe any religion they so
choose.

Perceptions of Muslims and Arabs by Americans due to Media Influences and Political Agendas

Even before 9/11 the views of Muslims and Middle Eastern people in the United States has been skewed. It can be traced to deliberate mythmaking by film and media, stereotyping as part of conscious strategy of 'experts' and polemicists on the Middle East, the selling of a foreign policy agenda by US government officials and groups seeking to affect that agenda, and a public susceptible to images identifying the unwelcome 'other' in its midst. (Akram) Played as a scapegoat for all the worlds’ problems Muslims are not the first person to be targeted for racial profiling. Arabs are seen as, “robed and turbaned, sinister and dangerous, engaged mainly in hijacking airplanes and blowing up public buildings. It seems that the human race cannot discriminate between a tiny minority of persons who may be objectionable and the ethnic strain from which they spring. If the Italians have the Mafia, all Italians are suspect; if the Jews have financiers, all Jews are part of an international conspiracy; if the Arabs have fanatics, all Arabs are violent.” (Akram)

After 9/11 Americans continued their harsh views and opinions about any person who resembled the images that they media portrayed as the enemy. Within days of the attacks every news channel was flashing up images of what the hijackers looked like. From these images Americans turned their fear and hatred on to anyone who closely resembled these faces.

The media only fueled the hatred that Americans felt towards all Arabs when it was relatively a small group of people responsible for these attacks. Since 9/11 the media has continued to depict the Middle East as ungrateful for the help that the United States has supposedly brought. Filled with deceptive lies and reporting of only half of the story, “Little wonder then that 600,000 dead Iraqis need never be named or even counted. Iraqis can even be portrayed as “ungrateful” for not appreciating Western efforts to “help” them. This kind of interpretation has permeated out of the academy into all areas of Western culture, from novels and films to more overtly political culture.” (Strong)

Media in the U.S. does not report the facts about the war in Iraq. It does not tell us every side of the story because just like our history book it never has. “America's media empire is controlled by a tiny coterie of people. Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Michael Powell, the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell, has proposed even further deregulation of the communication industry, which will lead to even greater consolidation.” (Roy) It is as if our leaders justify this racial hatred because as long as American’s stay angry at a this scapegoat then their anger will continue to give fuel an unjust war.

National Security in a Post 9/11 World

National security has been priority for Americans since the tragic events of September 11^th six years ago. It has been the cause for fighting the “War on Terror” in the form of Islamic extremists. The aftermath of 9/11 has put us at war with Iraq and Afghanistan, and has led to the rise of racial intolerance towards Muslims within the United States. We are in a continuing cycle of violence that has cost us profoundly.

The National Intelligence Council (NIC) evaluates the issues of National Security. The council works with the Intelligence Community to predict the likelihood of future events and provide analytical information regarding current threats to the U.S. The main threat to the United States comes from Islamic Terrorist groups according to the NIC. Groups, such as al-Qaeda being a major threat. Counterterrorism efforts since 9/11 have debilitated terrorist groups with plans of attack to the U.S. Improvements in National and Homeland Security policies have made it more difficult for such groups to execute more acts of terrorism with similar magnitude of 9/11.

According to www.whitehouse.gov, U.S. government intelligence, homeland security officials and law enforcement meet weekly with the White House to review current threats and how to deal with them. Law enforcement is constantly developing ways to improve their efforts in response to heightened threat. The White House claims that America is safer but not quite and our leaders, armed forces, and intelligence community continue to work together to prevent terrorism in the United States of America.

Things were done differently in the pre-9/11 world. The following is a comparison of a few Homeland Security policies before and after 9/11 according to the Department of Homeland Security (www.dhs.gov).

Issue	Pre-9/11	Post-9/11
Risk-based homeland security funds	National Security funds were not appropriated based upon risk	- 100% of Urban Area Security Initiative funds are awarded based on risk & effectiveness. - DHS allocated the maximum amount statutorily possible based on risk and effectiveness under the Homeland Security Grant Program.
Critical Infrastructure Assessment	No integrated national policy to identify threats and address vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.	- DHS created the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), a public/private partnership to identify and protect the Nation’s critical infrastructure & key resources. - Improved security for high-risk chemical facilities.
Private sector preparedness	No national standard for private sector emergency preparedness	- Private Sector Office created; increase in private sector participation in federal training, exercises, and preparedness.
Airline passenger pre-screening	Passenger information collected from airlines on voluntary basis only for international flights. No single list of suspected terrorists existed or was shared among U.S. agencies.	- 100% of passengers are now screened. - Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) implemented and supported by Passenger Name Record (PNR) which looks for “identifiable…indicators of risk”. - Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) consolidated watch lists and provides 24/7 support.
Airline passenger explosive screening	Not all passengers were screened for explosives.	- 1,200 Explosive Trace Detectors deployed at passenger checkpoints - Nearly 4,000 metal detectors & x-ray machines installed at 440 airports across the country.
Checked bag screening	Not all checked bags were screened for explosives.	- 100% of checked baggage is now screened. - 425 Canine explosive detection teams in more than 80 airports - 1,400 Explosive Detection System (EDS) machines deployed.

Soon after the shock and despair of 9/11, the anger felt by Americans was fueled by talk of retaliation toward the enemy. Clearly, we are talking about Muslims and the Middle East. For the violent acts of terror committed by “Islamic fundamentalists”, the Arab-American community felt a backlash of racial bigotry from their fellow Americans holding them accountable for world terrorism. Islam was perceived to be a religion of evil and anyone who resembles the enemy is a potential threat. This portrayal of an entire people affected much of the issues concerning National Security, especially racial profiling among the airline industry.

Many Muslims feel isolated and are afraid of being suspected of terrorism. According to an article from USA TODAY, “Many Arab Muslims say their community is turning in on itself – shying away from a society increasingly inclined to equate Islam with terrorism” (Fear ‘as bad as after 9/11’, Hampson). In the hopes that things would become normal after 9/11 but the war overseas and biased media coverage only made it more difficult to cope. Some people went as far as changing their names so they would not be compared to the terrorists in any way.

For the purpose of National Security, individuals must be screened throughout airports in the U.S. New policies have formed to improve our airline industry and the safety of the homeland. Since passenger jets were used to bring down the twin towers in 2001, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), have developed screening techniques to minimize the chances of attack through means of aircraft. All passengers are screened without judgments on race, religion, and ethnic origin. Unfortunately this is not the case in reality. There have been many lawsuits against the airline industry since 9/11 with claims of racial profiling among people of Middle Eastern or Asian descent. People are searched thoroughly and taken in for questioning if suspected and sometimes it is related to their appearance. When passengers are in the plane, they can be removed if other passengers feel uncomfortable. For example, people who speak Arabic, or bare a resemblance to what is portrayed as the present day terrorist. CNN reports the cases of five passengers who were prevented from boarding after 9/11. “Among the plaintiffs is Michael Dasrath, a 32-year-old analyst for Morgan Stanley, who was ejected from a Continental flight from Newark to Tampa last New Year’s eve. Dasrath, a U.S. citizen of Indian heritage, told CNN that his incident began with the complaint of a single, white female passenger who had been observing him and two other men in their first class seats” (“Airlines face post 9/11 racial profiling suits”, CNN).

Discrimination is not only in airports, but exists in many forms. The American media feeds us plenty of wartime propaganda keeping focus on the “War on Terror” and it’s progress. There are acts of violence, harassment, and hate towards Middle Easterners. The truth is, many victims from the 9/11 attacks were of different heritage and included a good amount of Muslims and Middle Eastern people. Arab-Americans and Muslims felt the same shock, grief, and anger as everyone else during 9/11, but racial intolerance and media persuasion steered many Americans towards supporting War abroad and allowing the rise of racial narrow-mindedness.

“Americans seem unsympathetic. Thirty-nine percent say they harbor at least some prejudice against Muslims, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll earlier this year. The same percentage favor requiring U.S. Muslims –citizens included– to carry special IDs. About a third say U.S. Muslims sympathize with al-Qaeda” (Fear ‘as bad as after 9/11’, Hampson).

When the government began investigating the attacks, many people of Middle Eastern and Asian decent were detained and questioned. Charges of immigration violations were reasons for some of the people held, but according to The Council of American-Islamic Relations, Muslims were facing civil rights abuse and discrimination. Soon after the World Trade

Center attacks, 1,000 people were apprehended and thousands more taken in for questioning and released. “More than 500 cases of discrimination and attacks unrelated to the terrorist attacks constituted a 43 percent increase over the preceding year, when 366 were filed, said an annual survey that the council released today. One-fourth of the complaints involved ethnic and religious profiling at airports and workplaces, and nearly 20 percent involved government agencies, including the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the F.B.I. and local law enforcement authorities, the report said” (New York Times, 5/1/02).

Every day is a struggle for peace and unity. “United We Stand” includes all Americans regardless of who the current enemy is; National Security and all other aspects revolved around the “War on Terror” included. Cultural differences and religion may be at the root of so many wars in time, but in present day society, blaming an entire people for the violent acts of militants will not result in peace or help make America safer. As Americans we do not want to live in paranoia and regret. We will continue to improve our policies for National Security, but we must honor our civil rights values for all as a nation.

Resources

The Taliban, Women, and the Hegelian Private Shpere. Social Research. Fall 03. Vol. 70, No.3

Akram, Susan M., “The Aftermath of September 11^th 2001: The targeting of Arabs and Muslims in America” Arab Studies Quarterly Spring-Summer 2002

Roy, Arundhati, “Instant-Mix Imperial Democracy (Buy One, Get One Free)” Presented in New York at The Riverside Church, Copyright 2003. http://www.csun.edu/faculty/sheena.malhotra/Roy/Roy%20%20Instant%20Mix%20Imperial%20Democracy.htm

Strong, Ed, “The White Man’s Racism: “Muslim Extremist” 8/5/2007

http://edstrong.blog-city.com/the_white_mans_racism_muslim_extremists.htm

Telhami, Shibley. “Arab and Muslim America.” Winter 2002 Vol 20 No.1 pp.14-15

http://www.brookings.edu/press/REVIEW/winter2002/telhami.htm