Americans know “racial profiling is both morally wrong and ineffective”, but they rather be safe than sorry (Chavez 563). Americans only get the idea that all middle easterners are terrorists because media has taken the role of portraying them in such a way to plants terror in Americans (Spurlock). People have gotten to the point of people being “singled out” because of looking certain way or because people around them feel uncomfortable (Chavez 569).
These terms appeared frequently and with high intensity, shaping a negative image of Malcolm X in the media. After Malcolm returned from Mecca, he announced that he no longer indicted the entire white race as racists and devils, and yet he was still connected with black supremacy. Other terms that cluster around extremist and appear in relation to Black Muslims and Malcolm X are enemy, confrontation, and bitter. These labels have implications of violence. Violence from a minority group against the white society is extremely disturbing to that population.
Jihad is supposed to be an internal struggle however; people often confuse it with an external struggle in which they use violence for dominance. “Despite the fact that Jihad is not supposed to include aggressive warfare, this has occurred. Jihad means to counter such threats and assert the predominance of Islam.” Intercollegiate Review; Spring2002, Vol. 37 Issue 2, p24-32, 9p Just and Unjust War in the Terrorist Age. Many people consider Jihad to be a movement which causes a problem in the Muslim community because of the misinterpretation of the religious beliefs.
What’s even worse is how the actions of few ACTUAL terrorists, labeled the billions of people in Islam and the millions in the middle east, Asia, and in the U.S. terrorists automatically as well. How does that even happen? What’s even worse than that is whenever a person that is brown or is Islamic commits a crime; it’s an “act of terrorism” and blame Islam and its teachings. Not the same case when any other race or religion commits one. You see a white man gun down children or people in a movie theatre and it’s an automatic case of psychological disorder and insanity.
Most of these cultures were handed down from generations contributing to the changing factors of Arabian lifestyle. I want to say that the Arabs are not all that bad in most cases. It is their leaders of the Islamic religion that has brought such oppression on the land. Their leaders have made it unbearable for them. I believe because of that, they are stereotyped more negatively upon the world because of their negative leaders.
It is important to know the differences between prejudice, stereotype, discrimination and privilege (Harvey & Allard, 2009). In the article retrieved from www.associatedcontent.com Wright stated “regardless of their purpose or status Arabs and Muslims in the United States have been marked by poignant reminders of the social unrest that have plagued their communities since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.”Automatically when either of the groups is presented, it is an immediate association with the 9-11 attacks. This is because of the stereotype which leads to discrimination. Stereotypes are unreliable generalizations about all members of a group that do not take into account individual differences within a group (Harvey & Allard, 2009). The ADC has sent a request out to the American people to help stop the hate crimes and discrimination against the Arab and Muslim Americans.
On September 11, 2001, The United States of America and the whole world witnessed the most extreme terrorist incident ever committed on U.S. soil. It was perpetrated by Muslim extremists using commercial airliners as projectiles of destruction. The attacks on September 11, 2001 left nearly three thousand people dead. Following the attacks there was much speculation as to why these attacks were not prevented from happening. In the months following the attacks, President Bush assigned Attorney General Ashcroft the task of producing legislation to assist the U.S. intelligence and law enforcement community to prevent such of an atrocity from occurring again.
Orientalism is an overly simplified view of individuals and history of the Orient with no acknowledgment of transformation over time or diversity within its many cultures (Schaefer, 2006, p. 284). Both groups, Muslims and Arabs, are referred to as the same population. Prejudice and Orientalism have contributed to hate crimes against these groups; post September 11, 2001 massive amounts of deportation and detentions took place. Arab immigrants and visitors were not welcome in the United States. They were viewed as dangerous people and were required to carry special ID cards.
September 11, 2001 completely changed not only the United States, but the entire world as we know it. On that very day 19 militants associated with the terrorist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicidal missions upon the targets on U.S. soil. Two of the planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the third plane hit the Pentagon, and the fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. As recorded over 3,000 people were killed during this onslaught including more than 400 police officers and firefighters. The word “terrorism” permanently became the part of the dictionary.
Oil & Water: The Mosque at Ground Zero Leslie Pratt Westwood College College Writing 2 Persuasive Writing Paper Date: March 08, 2012 Instructor: Dr. Ras Tsidi Acolatse Oil & Water: The Mosque at Ground Zero Topic and Purpose This research paper discusses the dangers of placing a Muslim community center within the vicinity of the World Trade Center crash site. On September 11th, 2001, terrorists crashed 2 planes into the World Trade center buildings (aka Twin Towers) killing nearly 3,000 people devastating the lives of Americans everywhere. Now eleven years later, a group well known and respected Muslims led by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf are leading and initiative to build a Muslim Community Center designated to promote peace, unification and America’s religious tolerance. The only problem is that this structure is being built within the vicinity of the World Trade Center crash site. Many New York City residents and fellow Americans feel that this is a direct “Slap in the face”, and a mockery of the countless lives lost on that tragic day.