Issue No. 603
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12 - 18 September 2002 Issue No. 603 Heritage |
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'Fear not the path of truth'
A year following the attacks on America, Anayat Durrani finds Arabs and Muslims in America changed, but optimistic
As Americans commemorate the first anniversary of the 11 September tragedy, one thing remains clear, life in America has changed. The 11 September tragedy impacted the lives of all Americans. Nowhere has this been felt more than in the Arab and Muslim American communities. Reeling from a year in which there were numerous assaults on civil liberties, Arab and Muslim Americans have emerged a changed but determinedly optimistic community.
"We are marked as a community," said Malik Kahook, a Palestinian-American activist from Ohio. "But in my view this only puts a spotlight on us that we can use to further voice our concerns and viewpoint."
Kahook says he has always been outspoken on Arab and Muslim issues. And while the events of 11 September and its aftermath may have made some a bit more cautious when expressing their views, Kahook has become even more vocal and active. "I have organised more talks in the community and engaged in more debates, both organised and in daily life. This is a time for more of us to speak out in the open and challenge those who choose to denigrate our culture," said Kahook. "The general public does not suffer from hate towards Arabs. They suffer from lack of education and exposure to our culture and our grievances."
The past year has been a learning experience for many Arab and Muslim Americans, particularly so for Arab and Muslim organisations. The aftermath of 11 September made apparent how much more work needed to be done. Not only was this realised in terms of the need to educate Americans about Islam, but also in establishing Arab and Muslim participation and activism at all levels of American society.
"The events of 9/11 marked a turning point for the American Muslim community," said Mohamed Nimer, director of research at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights and Islamic advocacy group based in Washington, DC. In a recently released report by the organisation called "American Muslims: One Year After 9/11", Nimer said the events following 11 September demonstrated how America has yet to accept American Muslims as a community with a distinct religious identity. As a result, American Muslims have redoubled their efforts to establish a more visible presence and stronger voice in American society.
In the past year, Arab and Muslim groups have met with federal and local government agencies, held 'open mosques', participated in lectures, town hall meetings, and set up voter registration drives. Nimer said that interfaith communication, in particular, has increased in the past year. "It is not yet clear whether the voices of interfaith tolerance will win out over those preaching anti-Muslim prejudice," he said.
In the year since the tragedy, Arab and Muslim Americans have been subjected to a backlash against their communities, racial and religious profiling at American airports; they saw their charities, businesses and mosques raided; hundreds of Arabs and Muslims were detained indefinitely or deported; thousands rounded up for "voluntary interviews"; and suspicion was cast over all things Arab and Muslim.
"I think that the racism was there before 9/11, and 9/11 just fed it, and allowed the government to pursue its frightening agenda with little vocal opposition," said Fatma, who is of mixed Saudi and American descent and resides in California. She believes that if anything positive came about in the past year, it is the desire by most Americans to learn more about Muslims and Arabs. "Before 9/11 most Americans were very uninterested in what was going on in the Muslim world. Now there is a great thirst for understanding about Islam and Arabs, and it is up to us to make sure that the information that gets out is accurate and helpful."
In post-11 September America, flag waving patriotism spread across America. The American flag became a symbol of unity and America's resilience in a time of tragedy. President George W Bush's oft repeated phrase, "either you are with us, or against us," was taken to heart by many in America. For Arab and Muslim Americans, questions about where their loyalties lay became commonplace.
Aryana Ahsan, left, adjusts her scarf while sitting with her cousin, Sophia Shafiq, during an event at the Islamic Centre in Long Island. Muslim families attended a ceremony Sunday to honour those killed in last year's 11 September attacks (photo AP)
"Nothing happened to my loyalty except that I perhaps feel more American than I did before 11 September," said Zeinab Istrabadi, an Arab American from Indiana. Istrabadi lost a friend in the World Trade Centre attack and many of her friends narrowly escaped injury when the towers collapsed.
"My loyalty to my country has never wavered," said Melissa Fayad, a Lebanese-American from Missouri. "I sometimes worry about the loyalty of other Americans to the ideals that our country was founded on when I see people espousing hatred and intolerance."
While loyalties have not been affected by 11 September, the way some Arabs and Muslims identify themselves has. "I feel more of an urgency to identify myself as an Arab, a Palestinian," said Seham Fare, a Palestinian-American activist from California. "Initially, after 9/11, I thought I would have to hide my identity, and then suddenly I became overwhelmed with shame for having those thoughts. If I ever experience backlash from actively identifying myself as a Palestinian and championing the cause, it would still never be as traumatic as living in the occupied territories and waking up to a tank in my front yard every morning."
Since 11 September, Arab and Muslim Americans have become increasingly uncomfortable with the actions of the Department of Justice and FBI toward their communities. A month after the attack, President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act into law giving federal authorities expanded surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers. Law enforcement was given new powers for wiretapping and surveillance, including arresting and detaining suspects for indefinite periods without the protection of due process. Following the terrorist attacks on America, large numbers have been detained, singled out based on their religion, national origin, or ethnicity. Arab and Muslim Americans have complained that the actions taken by their government in the name of national security have trampled upon their civil liberties and smack of McCarthyism.
"The current administration is trying to strip Arab and Muslim-Americans of their fundamental constitutional rights under the rubric of 'fighting terrorism'," said Fare. "Allowed to go unchecked this administration will deal a severe blow to the civil liberties of all Americans, not just those of Arab descent."
Some in the Arab and Muslim community still live in fear. Though the backlash against the Arab and Muslim community has for the most part subsided, the fear that 'Big Brother' is watching leaves many apprehensive, especially since this has been directed solely at Arab or Muslim Americans. Kahook, however, says it is natural for the government to question people of Arab and Muslim background, and in itself this should not be cause for worry. "We have nothing to fear since the overwhelming majority of Arabs and Muslims in America are productive members of the community who contribute more to our society than most other ethnic groups."
In a year that has seen highs and lows, Arab and Muslim Americans do look toward the future with hope and optimism. And although many feel that things may be difficult for some time, they look at this moment as an opportunity to work collectively for positive change.
"Things will be harder for us for a while. We Arab and Muslim-Americans need more cohesiveness," said Fare. "I hope that we unite as a force to protect our civil liberties in the same way that other minority groups have. Most importantly, I hope that in these troubling times we have the courage to stand up and demand justice for our people, domestically and internationally. As the Arab proverb says: Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it."
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