Patriot Acts Response

[sorry for the delay, computer issues and the like]

I took a class last semester called “What is Islam?” that not only gave a good background to the religion, also posed many questions about Islam in the modern world. In particular, we read many chapters from Mamdani’s Good Muslim, Bad Muslim, first at the start of the semester and then, again, at the end, right after the assassination of bin Laden. I bring this up because the issues Mamdani raises concern Adama’s story.

Mamdani posits that, after 9/11, there were two types of Muslims in the view of most Americans—good and bad. This view was solidified by the fact that shortly after the attack President Bush spoke to the American people reminding them that they should not conflate Muslims with terrorists, and that good/American Muslims will demonstrate this by helping America with its aims (that is broadly to keep our country safe, but also the various international policies that arose post-9/11). However, Mamdani rightly concludes that by forcing Muslims to prove their goodness we are assuming inherent badness from them. Beyond that, we are attributing inherent morality with a religion. Even further, we are conflating a religion with an entire personal identity and with morality.

So beyond simple horrible circumstances, I think what signaled Adama out was the fact that she was a highly visible target. She noted that when she first went back to the city she was wearing a niqab, which is (Scott, please correct me if I’m wrong, it’s been awhile since I’ve taken the course now) one of the most restrictive coverings one can choose, and thus one of the must visible. When Adama was at the airport and she was met with cries of “Go back to your country, you Talibini, go back to Osama bin Laden,” it was not simply brought on by the fact that she was Muslim, by the fact that she was visibly Muslim.

Again, someone correct me if I’m wrong but when I was younger I do vaguely remember a series of hate crimes against Sikhs. A visibility thing. Something to set them apart.

I almost feel like there’s nothing left to say, because we’ve heard it so many times. I don’t mean to be jaded; I feel fresh despair for every new story but I can’t help but to recycle the same rhetoric. She was punished for being Muslim. Our country became, at its highest levels, systematically bigoted and jingoistic. The idea of visibility stands out in this story because of how much I’ve found Islamophobia deals with appearances (do they look Muslim?) and how she was proud to veil, but then gladly stopped—all her choice. It does, ultimately, I think confirm what Mamandi proposed: after 9/11 all Muslims were bad until they proved themselves good, and unfortunately the government did not want to listen.

Similarly with images, I believe America had a tendency to conflate the image of the terrorist (and, of course beyond that, the endless stream of the towers falling, that hellish inferno) with all of the Muslim and Arab/Persian world. They were so deeply entwined for so many for so long that stories like this do not surprise me. I do want to put two things forward.

First, I’m sure you’re aware that France has been passing laws against—technically any covering of hair or face, but it is clearly an anti-burqa law. Thoughts?

Second—I’m a huge fan of the Daily Show and Jon Stewart actually had a very moving speech right after bin Laden was shot. He said that because we have removed this symbolism of hate from the world, we no longer had to think of the Muslim and Arab world and think of him, we could think of the revolutionary action in Egypt, all of Arab spring, and so much more. It simply reminded me of this story.