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I remember I was in Firehouse Subs on E. Liberty with a friend when we saw the CNN coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings. We were glued to the television, wondering what was going on. And we both looked at each other and said, "I hope the bombers aren't Muslim."
And we weren't alone in that nature. There were many tweets that day that said the same thing. Washington Post even stated the same thing. Searching "please don't be Muslim on Google" shows pages upon pages of journalists and common citizens saying the same thing, whether it was in relation to the Boston bombings or any other form of violent act.
What Kim reminded me of was this notion of deep racism towards Muslims. As a Muslim, it's actually shocking the amount of little everyday acts I have to think about every time I am in the public sphere. I have a shirt that says "Michigan Muslim Students Association" that is still in great condition, albeit pretty old due to my lack of wearing it - I get some dirty looks sometimes.
It's all really similar to the "Racial Covering" that Kenji spoke about in his book.
One of my family members who wears a hijab due to personal choice, now has stopped wearing it because of how people her now in her workplace - she's a lawyer in Washington D.C. that deals with a number of clients that she calls "intolerant/racist humans." She had to cover her religion for her own protection.
As I stated in Kim's blog, regardless of how I dress, I get stopped for 'randomized' security checks, as do all members in my family. And it's not like we are wearing shirts in Arabic - my mother always asks me to wear proper clothing to an airport so that we DON'T get stopped or harassed.
I brought up the Boston bombings in order to show this mentality that many of us Muslims have, that we are essentially scared to be shown in the media now because most of what is shown now is against us (hey, let's ask Fox News!) It's covering on a mass scale.
Now with this, I am not asking for sympathy or anything of that sort. I am merely trying to highlight and emphasize how people cover in order to protect themselves. Now in the cases I brought up, is it my fault for going with the grain to cover myself, or is it the fault of society for making me want to do so?
I don't think you're 'at fault' for anything. I think it's logical for you, given the current circumstances, to want to minimize the unnecessary (and in my opinion, totally racially intolerant) situations that you would be forced to go through during airport security [among other places] if you had chosen not to "go with the grain".
ReplyDeleteOf course, it's your choice, and in theory, you should be free to dress however you want. But society dictates that if you look different, you are potentially threatening-- a pretty big leap if you ask me, especially in a country that isn't exactly homogenous.
I find that society has put those people who don't fit the clean-cut, white/caucasian standard in a position which forces them to either conform or be subject to biased and unequal treatment. However, I must also point out that this isn't solely an American issue. The link below explains the same phenomenon occurring in German airports, too. Racial profiling is a global problem, not just an American problem, and I think that for our own safety we need to see each other as more than our skin and passports colors.
http://www.thelocal.de/national/20101228-32077.html
I'm glad to hear that you related to my earlier post, and I appreciate your expanding on this issue from a different perspective. The fact that you get stopped at the airport even when you do cover - just based on your skin color - really intrigues me. I suppose I gave too much credit to society in my original post when I assumed that dressing more "neutrally" would lessen the tendency to racially/religiously profile individuals in the security line.
ReplyDeleteI've given the issue some more thought since I last posted, and I personally feel that this inherent discrimination is society's problem and that society needs to fix it. However, I don't know that it will ever be fixed if racial and religious minorities don't challenge it. In that sense, maybe it is counter-productive for you to cover at the airport. I agree with Cassie in that I don't think it's your "fault" - society has clearly imposed these circumstances on you and your family - but I think that changing it could be in your hands and in the hands of others like you.
However, I am neither a racial nor a religious minority, so my perspective on this is definitely lacking. I suppose my question for you (as a religious minority) is this: Do you personally think it's worth having to go through some extra airport screening to put your fellow passengers' minds at ease? Or would you be willing to raise some eyebrows by wearing your "Michigan Muslim Students Association" shirt to the airport if it meant taking a stand against societal discrimination?
After reading Asif's blog post and then seeing your comment, I think you have brought up a very interesting point. You write "I don't know that it will ever be fixed if racial and religious minorities don't challenge it", and I completely agree with you.
DeleteI commented about this on your post actually, about how I feel that people should not cover at airports. However, when you asked the question if deciding not to wear the specific shirt would be beneficial if it put fellow passengers at ease, I would have to answer no. If a person wants to wear something (that isn't harmful), I think that they should go ahead and do it. Change doesn't just happen suddenly. BUT as others mentioned, I personally would choose to not wear a specific t-shirt because, to be honest, I just do not have the patience or courage to endure the discomfort it would cause ME. In this particular situation, I wouldn't weigh the uneasiness people feel due to their own prejudice, but I would forgo that controversial piece of clothing because I would want to have the most optimal experience at the airport. This may be a selfish way of thinking about it, but sometimes I feel I need to know which battles are worth fighting in regards to immediate time, energy, and money.
That's a great question, Kim, and I believe that the answer truly is based off of the individual. I WISH I had the 'freedom' to wear whatever shirt, and yet get treated like any other person. But to be honest, no - I'm not willing to go through extra security so my neighbor could feel better.
ReplyDeleteWhy? Because it's unfair and a waste of time. Why should I be subjected to additional screening due to my skin color or name? Yes, it's inherently racist - almost like the discrimination the Japanese felt post WW2 (well, perhaps on a lesser level due to many other factors). The concept is the same. If you're not a part of the majority, you're going to be discriminated somehow.
Anywho I choose not to wear the Michigan Muslim Students Association shirt at the airport because perhaps there is a lesser chance of me being put through extra security - it'll just be a waste of my time.