Discrimination against Arabs in the United States after September 11

Discrimination involves classifying people into different groups and giving the members of each group distinct and typically unequal treatments and rights (Wikipedia, 2003). The criteria defining the groups determine the type of discrimination. Use of the term implies that the factors on which the discrimination is based are intrinsically irrelevant to the decision being made. Typically, the discriminator views himself as superior to the injured group. The effects of discrimination are broad. Slow or unhelpful retail service, racial slurs, denial of employment and housing, hate crimes and genocide are all examples of discrimination. This paper will discuss a very specific example of discrimination -- discrimination against Arabs in the United States as a result of the tragic terrorist events on September 11, 2001.

Background

Many governments have tried to suppress discrimination through civil rights legislation, equal opportunity laws and institutionalized policies of affirmative action. On the other hand, there are some governments that have supported discrimination, examples being apartheid, segregation and anti-Semitism. The United States government prides itself in being anti-discriminatory. Still, this does not mean that the U.S. is free of discrimination.

Religion is often the cause of discrimination (Wikipedia, 2003). During the Middle Ages, religious and governmental leaders relied on Christian unity to defend their lands from followers of Islam during the crusades. Christians and Jews have historically received unequal treatment in comparison to Muslim citizens in all Muslim nations. The kingdom of Jordan, for instance, will not grant citizenry to a Jew, while peoples of any other group may obtain citizenship. In addition, the State of Israel is often accused of discrimination against Arabs of Palestinian origin.

Similarly, one of the most common forms of discrimination in the United States is that directed toward racial and ethnic groups (MSN Encarta, 2003). The legality of slavery was actually recognized in the Constitution. The Supreme Court challenged the Emancipation Proclamation and several amendments that changed the legal status of African-Americans following the Civil War. For many years, the Court also upheld state-enforced segregation and the absence of adequate federal laws allowed discrimination against African-Americans in employment and housing, public accommodations, the judicial system, and voting. It wasn't until 1941, when President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order prohibiting discrimination in employment by a company working under a government contract, that discriminatory practices were challenged.

What is the evidence?

Today many Arabs in America feel that must maintain a low profile, due to anti-Arab attititudes in the U.S. following September 11. Many other have actually gone into hiding, fearful they will soon be facing a nightmare similar to the one endured by Japanese-Americans at the outbreak of World War II.

Statistics gathered from various sources by the U.S. Department of Justice demonstrate that hate-crimes toward Arab or Muslim peoples have increased since the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil (Willoughby, 2003):

There has been a 1700% increase in reported hate and bias crimes against Arabs, Muslims and those perceived to be Arab or Muslim since September 11.

As a result of Anti-Arab backlash, at least three individuals were murdered after September 11.

Approximately 600 violent incidents directed against Arab-Americans in the United States including acts of physical violence, vandalism, arson, beatings, assaults with weapons and direct threats of specific acts of violence were reported to the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee within six months of September 11.

Forty-five cases of beatings, harassment, threats and vandalism were reported in the six months following September 11 against Arab-American students in elementary, high schools and universities throughout the U.S.

It is important to note that, as is true of all crime statistics, many incidents go unreported due to fears of retaliation.

Racial profiling is now considered a legal policy and a valid strategy to fight terror (Lydersen, 2003). People can be questioned, searched, spied on, and even detained without a lawyer on the basis of their race or religion alone. A Gallup poll published within months of the September 11 attacks showed that 60% of Americans supported racial profiling of Arabs at airports. Additionally, the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, which inspects trucks carrying hazardous materials, announced that drivers appearing to be of Arab origin would be searched.

Selective enforcement is also evident in the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (Lydersen, 2003). Only citizens may now work as security screeners at airports. As a result, thousands of hardworking and low-wage immigrants in the United States lost their jobs. Even citizens with minor criminal convictions are affected by this act, although pilots, mechanics and other positions with more sensitive access to planes, while subjected to background checks, are not required to be citizens.

David Steigman, a spokesman for the new Transportation Security Administration has acknowledged that the government has a list of about 1,000 people who are deemed "threats to aviation" and not allowed on airplanes under any circumstances (Lindorff, 2002). "We have a list of about 1,000 people," Steigman said.

Congress created the agency a year ago to handle transportation safety during the war on terror (Lindoroff, 2001). "This list is composed of names that are provided to us by various government organizations like the FBI, CIA and INS ... we don't ask how they decide who to list. Each agency decides on its own who is a 'threat to aviation'." The agency has no guidelines to determine who gets on the list, Steigman says, and because they compile it from names provided by other agencies, there is no procedure for removing someone from the list if they were wrongfully placed on it.

Conclusion

Discrimination is a terrible crime against humanity. U.S. citizens, as we are greatly influenced by the government, are entitled to an honest administration, if only to keep our liberties secure. Currently, we need more evidence and a full on investigation into the tragic event by Congress. Whether or not September 11 could have been predicted or not, the U.S. needs to set its priorities straight.

During the last thirty years efforts to combat racial discrimination have figured prominently in our history. The civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s won the passage of important legislation; decisions of the Supreme Court and regulations of federal agencies have contributed greatly to fighting discrimination, yet it is obvious that a great deal more needs to be done.

U.S leaders must change the way we operate around the world or we are in for many years of violence and body bags. And if that happens, it won't merely be the fault of those who attack us from outside, but also the fault of those who were the enemies of justice, equality, and peace on the inside. The sad consequence of this continuation of hate will result in increased discrimination -- a terrible reality in this day and age.