Arab American Media Fear Worsening Public Opinion After Ft. Hood
New America Media, News Feature, Suzanne Manneh, Posted: Nov 07, 2009
Editor’s Note: Arab American media say they do not fear a backlash after the Fort Hood shootings, but they fear public opinion of Arab Americans will worsen. New America Media reporter Suzanne Manneh compiled their reactions.
Osama Siblani , publisher, The Arab American News, Dearborn, Mich.
Like for every other American, it was shocking, and as an Arab American, things come to your mind: I hope he’s not an Arab or Muslim.
I’m not really worried about specific backlash from this. American people are more educated and understand that this was an act of an individual. You will also always find people that treat it with guilt by association. This is not a terrorist incident. We have written a great deal about this issue, and we issued a press release immediately after it happened. But As Arabs and Muslims, all the time, we have to explain ourselves, because of the stigma following us, and that is unfair. Last night, I received threatening hate emails and I called the Dearborn police asking for an extra patrol and security. This is being covered in Arab world media the same way it is in American media. It is very important news and there are reporters on the scene, but people should not jump to conclusions. We need to wait for an investigation.
Jamal Dajani, senior director and producer, Mosaic News, Link TV
I'm sick and tired of these kinds of questions from media outlets whenever some kooky Muslim decides to commit a random act of violence...or in this case when a GI psychiatrist goes psycho. At the same time, I'm also sick and tired of self-appointed Muslim experts and spokespersons who jump at every miserable opportunity like this one to try to explain Islam.
"Islam is a religion of peace," they say.
No, it's not. Not anymore than Christianity is a religion of love. They're just religions, and what you do with them is all up to the believer. More people have died in the name of religion than in any other catastrophe or plague.
Antoine Faisal, publisher, Aramica, Brooklyn, N.Y.
My first reaction was “oh, my God,” I hope he’s not an Arab. I was hoping it wasn’t a terrorist attack that no Arabs were involved, and that we wouldn’t be in the same position.
I thought “why is it one of us?” As a newspaper publisher, I’m an Arab American and I stand by my community, but at the same time, there is no explanation that can justify this.
There is always someone who will say, there goes one more crazy Arab who flew off his handle and went on a rampage. But he is one human being, regardless of his ethnicity, and I will not accept being guilty by association.
He was a respectable member of our community up to the point where he decided to commit this heinous and cowardly crime I don’t think there is a need for concern, but no matter what there will be people who want to incriminate you and criticize you. Committing a crime does not have a religion. We dedicated a prominent section of the front cover [of Aramica] to feature condolences for the people killed.
Ahmed Tharwat, producer, Belahdan: Arab American TV Show, Minnetonka, Minn.
I thought, “oh, shit,” an Arab in Texas. That’s the worst case scenario. But this is actually an American and military problem, it’s not an Arab or Muslim problem.
I am definitely worried about the possible backlash, not at the same scale as post 9-11—it’s a cumulative effect and this will exacerbate it. Instead of going postal, people may say don’t go “Islamic” on me.
American society tries to avoid the problem by finding a scapegoat instead of addressing the problem. Mainstream U.S. media is really trying to steer this shooting as an Arab and Muslim ideology. I wrote something about this yesterday on my blog and Web site, but I don’t know why Arab Americans have to apologize. There are thousands of Arabs and Muslims serving in the U.S. military.
Mansour Tadros, publisher, The Future Newspaper, Chicago, Ill.
This has been boiling from the first Gulf War, and this is a human problem. I don’t think there will be much backlash, but FOX News will try and put Arabs and Muslims in the spotlight and twist the story.
I hope the Obama administration will deal with the issue instead of this problem boiling and boiling and making it sound that this is an Arab or Muslim problem.
If he was white or Christian, they (U.S. mainstream media) would not have made it such an issue. We have written about this issue before and yesterday I started writing a commentary. The point is that these things are hiding in the closet and the country has to take this seriously. We need to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the best way, because there is no light at the end of the tunnel for winning.
Fatima Atieh, publisher, Al Enteshar Al Arabi and president, Arab American Press Guild, Los Angeles, Calif.
This kind of problem is something that has been going on for a while, and it was an individual acting on his own. Everyone represents him or herself only, and this is not something that should represent Arabs and Muslims, but we in the Arab and Muslim communities condemn this. There is good and bad in every community, and Arabs are victims too. For example, six of those killed in the Virginia Tech students were Arab.
I am honestly hoping that this will not have a negative impact on our community. Obama is looking to improve the relationship with Arabs and Muslims. Post 9/11 backlash took a toll on Arabs and Muslims, and I believe that our community should be aware of their surroundings and vigilant of discrimination.
Amani Ghouleh, publisher, The Arabic Horizon Newspaper, Orland Park, Ill.
I am very sorry for the family and for the victims. I was shocked that this was an Arab and a psychiatrist. Murder is against Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and our community condemns this. I also think this may have a serious effect for discrimination against our community. I hope Americans will be more understanding and not stereotype, because Arab Americans like other groups are productive contributing members to society. I will also be watching my children in school, because they experienced great discrimination after 9/11 and they deserve the right to peaceful education like any other child.
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User Comments
Patrick Syring on Nov 16, 2009 at 20:05:16 said:
Arab-Americans must be held accountable and brought to justice for the genocide they perpetrated at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5. A world free of Arabs would be a world free of terrorl
Sam Anderson on Nov 11, 2009 at 17:22:25 said:
"The world needs to hear from the moderate Islamic communities. When the blasphemy laws are applied in countries such as Pakistan and non-Muslims are killed, are those keepers of the law being good Muslims or bad ones? The world needs to hear. When freedoms are so restricted in Islamic countries that no Muslim is allowed to disbelieve in Islam with impunity, is that a good Muslim law or a bad one? The freedom to believe -- or not -- is one of the most sacred privileges of the human mind. That freedom is taken away in the name of Islam. Statistics that indicate that Islam is growing are not an accurate reflection of the hearts of the people, because they really have no choice. Until those who are not Muslims are free to practice their faith in Muslim countries -- and those who seek to become Christians or choose another faith can do so with impunity -- Islam will never be free from the fear it can engender. I pray for such a day, when one's ultimate choice in life can be made without fear of terror and hate."
~Ravi Zacharias / Light in the Shadow of Jihad~
Aaron Aarons on Nov 11, 2009 at 07:47:21 said:
kevin kevins wrote:
>Hasan is responsible for his own actions. Period.
You\'re right. I can\'t take credit for them. I can only support them after the fact.
>When\'s the last time a psychotic killer declared, \"Jesus is Lord!\" or some such before opening fire on innocent people?
I don\'t know how many times the psychotic Christian and Jewish killers of Iraqis and Palestinians have invoked their religion in that way. They are perhaps more likely to make a negative reference to the presumed religion of their victims than any reference to their own. But they, unlike Major Hasan, do kill, almost exclusively, innocent people or people who are defending their own homes and country. People who are preparing to go to those countries to kill those people are NOT, in any sense, INNOCENT!
BTW, when I was in the sixth grade, while the U.S. was waging its genocidal war against Korea, one song that was taught in our music class (by a Christian teacher to virtually all-Jewish students, ironically) was \"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.\"
Dale Hickey on Nov 08, 2009 at 22:12:12 said:
Reading the mouthings of the U.S.-born atheist of Jewish ethnicity, made me choose between shuddering and giggling. Why doesn't Mr. Aaron Aarons move his conflicted butt to one of the countries he is whining over? Goofy people are quite often dangerous goofy people.
DB
kevin kevins on Nov 08, 2009 at 19:03:33 said:
Aaron,
two points:
Hasan is responsible for his own actions. Period.
Your choices under islam are slavery, conversion, or death - look it up. Your useful idiot politics won't save you, and your atheism will not be viewed as clever or chic.
kevin kevins on Nov 08, 2009 at 18:58:21 said:
"If he was white or Christian, they (U.S. mainstream media) would not have made it such an issue."
When's the last time a psychotic killer declared, "Jesus is Lord!" or some such before opening fire on innocent people?
This religion - and ONLY THIS RELIGION - breeds people who murder innocents to please their god of death. Happens all the time.
Given the koran will never change (inscribed on gold tablets in paradise) and mohammed declared himself to be the last prophet (but not the last misogynistic, slave-owning, child molesting sand pirate), I see no reason why this will ever change.
RobertB on Nov 08, 2009 at 18:37:22 said:
9/11 was the greatest attack on our soil by Muslim terrorists, and aside from a few isolated incidents there was no backlash against the "Muslim-American Community". The American people know the difference between honest, law-abiding Muslim-Americans and nuts who fly planes into buildings.
ricardo on Nov 08, 2009 at 18:30:38 said:
The United States is a place the immigrant needs to assimilate to, that is. To accept the prevalent cultural norms. If they want Shira laws, then they should go to a country that has Shira laws, like Kosovo or Saudi Arabia or Iran. Do not try to convert this nation from it Christian culture.
sue eighmy on Nov 08, 2009 at 15:32:29 said:
You people have no business being here, you all need to go home
Aaron Aarons on Nov 07, 2009 at 03:18:22 said:
I'm a U.S.-born atheist of Jewish ethnicity. It doesn't surprise me, and certainly doesn't offend me, that a religious Muslim son of Palestinian Arab parents would take military action against soldiers who were planning to go to Iraq and Afghanistan to slaughter Arabs and other Muslims?
What does bother me is that we who are neither Arab nor Muslim allow these criminal wars to take place without taking serious action to stop them. If we had, maybe Major Hasan wouldn't have had to do what he did to try to protect his fellow Muslims from imperialist slaughter.
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