Arab-Americans lose rights as legitimate Americans.

September 14, 2001 4:04 PM

Arab-Americans lose rights as legitimate Americans. Not literally. However, the backlash against Arab-Americans has been astounding. In this time of grieving and mourning, there is no need for further hate towards a group of our fellow Americans who have caused no harm to others. If you as an American are going to take this day as a day of prayer and remembrance, then do so in the spirit of hope and healing that God intended prayer to serve.
posted by dkhong (9 comments total)

Amen.
posted by mirla at 6:02 PM on September 14, 2001

The backlash against Arab-Americans has been astounding.

Any backlash against Arab-Americans is astounding, but I don't know how deep it has run or how widespread it has been. I don't think that everyone's immediate worry -- of vigilantes or internment -- are materializing or will. Here in Seattle a man, apparently drunk, poured gas on a mosque, tried to fire a gun, then hopped in his car and drove into a pole (yee-haw!). By the time I stopped by at the mosque to drop off flowers, hundreds had done the same. So some, at least, are trying to keep the wrong thing from happening.
posted by argybarg at 6:13 PM on September 14, 2001

check this out: a weblogger just posted this graphic as a protest against the backlash.
posted by incubus at 6:22 PM on September 14, 2001

Not to downplay what some Arab-Americans (and Arab-Australians, last I heard) have gone through, but I think the reaction from most people so far has been rather more enlightened than I would have expected it to be. There have been no anti-Arab riots, no calls for internment camps, and only very isolated incidents of violence, committed, usually, by people who are ignorant and/or drunk.

Here's the easily-quotable part of my post, if you disagree with me:

With few exceptions, in an as potentially divisive time as there has ever been in this country, Americans of all races and creeds have comported themselves well.

No, I'm not saying we shold pat ourselves on the back for not rounding up all Arabs, but at the same time, we should recognize that race relations have come a long way since, say, Pearl Harbor. The loudest voices I've heard throughout this have been against hatred, not for it, and that makes me optimistic about our chances of not doing something we'll look back on with shame.
posted by Hildago at 7:19 PM on September 14, 2001

they certainly have, but you have to remember there are 280 million ppl in america and the muslim population is around 6 - 8 million. imagine if a small percentage of ppl decided to cause havoc?
posted by incubus at 7:35 PM on September 14, 2001

sorry i sounded pessimistic above, but i just wanted to highlight how a small percentage can do ample damage.
posted by incubus at 7:43 PM on September 14, 2001

I think people's anxieties are misplaced, or at least mis-prioritized.
posted by mw at 6:28 AM on September 15, 2001

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has set up a hotline set up so that people can report this kind of thing.
posted by jeffvc at 10:57 AM on September 17, 2001

Wow, mw, inhumanity to fellow humans deserves to be condemned, always, in every situation. That article you linked to is heinous and completely unfounded. People have been shot DEAD by anti-muslim reactionaries. Just look at the link jeffvc posted after yours.

How in the world could anyone characterize condemnation of incivility as displacing grief for the victims? I've got a big heart. They're both tops on my priority list. Shame on nationalpost.com.
posted by mirla at 9:45 PM on September 17, 2001