Flying While Muslim: Racial Profiling Post-9/11

Posted on March 21, 2007
Filed Under General Thoughts, Racism, Activism, America, Personal |

I just got this in my inbox. It’s interesting but the fact that Raed Jarrar is featured in it talking about his notorious T-shirt incident isn’t good because I don’t believe that counts as racial profiling. Yeah sure it’s pretty stupid for people to freak out just because he wore a T-shirt with Arabic writing but hey I don’t blame them. We live in messed up paranoid times. As for incidents involving abuse like the one with the 2 Iraqi twins, I vehemently oppose them. Anyways, I’m not really opposed to racial profiling (when done professionally) if it actually does help but I’m not sure if it’s actually effective. Go ahead, profile all the Arab and South Asian looking ones. So what? Next time al-Qaeda will “kaboom” you with White or even Hispanic converts. If I remember correctly, the failed plot for taking down planes on the way to US from UK during flight involved a white convert.

I have to be frank though, sometimes this whole racial profiling thing doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. Maybe this is because I’ve never experienced it. Moreover my experiences when I arrived in America and traveled within it weren’t bad. Sure when I arrived at O’Hare, I had to be stuck there and questioned for about 3 hours thanks to my Sudanese passport. However the staff were very professional and friendly. They were simply doing their job and I didn’t mind the lengthy procedure that much. Hell, one of the guards there and I even started making silly jokes about Uncle Sam and Omar al-Bashir. I’m serious! We were basically chilling as he typed my info into his computer. Not only that but I also didn’t face any problems at all when I flew to Portland, Maine and New York’s La Guardia. My whole experience was actually fun! Damn, now that I’m thinking of it, I actually want to go back for a visit again. I miss New York diners! And Hooters! And Chicago’s Millennium Park! And Olive Garden! And my friends, oh my dear friends! And the unforgettable roadtrip! Maaaaaan!

Comments

3 Responses to “Flying While Muslim: Racial Profiling Post-9/11”

  1. Andrew Brehm on March 21st, 2007 2:04 pm

    “Yeah sure it’s pretty stupid for people to freak out just because he wore a T-shirt with Arabic writing but hey I don’t blame them.”

    What happens if I get caught in an Arab airport wearing a T-shirt with Hebrew writing?

  2. Drima on March 21st, 2007 2:16 pm

    LOL, dude guess what? I was about to write the same EXACT thing on my post!! Can you believe that?

  3. howie on March 21st, 2007 10:11 pm

    I love to tell the story of my brother-in-laws first trip to the USA which was during the first Iraq War.

    I went to the airport and he was like two hours late getting off the plane. He came out finally laughing hysterically. The story was he was suddenly whisked to an interrogation room. He thought they were busting him for drugs because he brought us a bunch of spices, like Zatar and Amba, from Israel…and his English is horrible.

    Upshot is they finally flash his passport…dude was born in Iraq and they got booted out when he was ONE MONTH OLD!

    Anyhow…he grasps the picture and in is horrible…strong accented English says”

    “Oh…you think I am Saddam Huessin..no I am fight Saddam…I am friend America”.

    How long could they hold him after that? And no hurt feelings over profiling. By the way…my darker son gets searched all the time in airports…even going into Israel…

    What are they supposed to do? Maybe target little old Mormon ladies from Utah?

    Sorry for the inconvenience…but every time I get searched…especially going into places in Israel…I THANK the guards for risking their lives for my sorry ass and even leave them tips, including bus drivers when I was in Israel during the Intifada.

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