Terrorism+in+the+21st+Century+and+Racial+Profiling+-+2011

Due to racial profiling, individuals of Middle Eastern descent are unfairly treated by unjustified searches, detainments, and revoked rights. Law enforcement and governments justify their actions because they believe Middle Eastern are more likely to commit a crime of terrorism than a Caucasian individual. Racial profiling has been used in many aspects of life. It is also sometimes classified as a factor that affects the police, on how they think and see people. Many times, the race you come from or the color of your skin changes the way people and society sees you.. After the 9/11 attacks many new laws and acts were passed. People of Middle Eastern descent were persecuted even if they were not connected to any terrorist groups. Numerous artists have been greatly shaken by September 11th and have channeled their feelings into their work. As a result, we see pain and anguish before us on museum walls, theater stages, music, and in the words of poets.
 * __ Brief Overview __**

By Deanna Klooster
 * __ Proof of Persecution __**

Due to racial profiling, individuals of Middle Eastern descent are unfairly treated by unjustified searches, detainments, and revoked rights. Law enforcement and governments justify their actions because they believe a Middle Eastern person is more likely to commit a crime of terrorism than a Caucasian individual. In airports, screeners are singling out individuals of Middle Eastern descent to screen and strip search. There have been at least 14 cases were individuals were denied their seats and been humiliated due to their ethnicity. One man of Middle Eastern descent was on his way home to Seattle when he was told to get his things and get off the plane because the pilot didn’t like the looks of him and felt uncomfortable to fly the plane with him on it. He got on the next flight to Seattle and was approached by a flight attendant. She said she was sorry about what happened on the other flight. He asked her how she knew and she replied that before the flight the pilot had asked the crew if they felt comfortable with him on the plane. A new term has come about due to the racial profiling of Middle Eastern individuals. It is called Travelling While Arab (TWA): A term that has been used by Arab Canadians to describe a trend that they are more likely to be stopped by airport security, customs officials or other authority figures than other, non-Arab Canadians. Due to racial profiling Middle Eastern individuals are being unfairly persecuted by the means of ethnicity, and a common perception that middle eastern individuals are more likely to commit a terrorist act than a Caucasian person. It is unfair, unjust, and racist.

By Michelle Marchant
 * __ Case Studies __**

Racial profiling has been used in many aspects of life. It is also sometimes classified as a factor that affects the police, on how they think and see people. Many times, the race you come from or the color of your skin changes the way people and society sees you. Raphael Ron is an Israel security guard for the Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport. He also felt as if he was treated differently due to his face and his color of skin. He found that just at the airport that color and race led the security guards to treat them differently and see them as “terrorists”. He states: “The worst attack on Ben Gurion was carried out by Japanese in 1972. If we focus on ethnic groups, we will miss what the enemy already understands: using a non-Arab person to carry out an attack might succeed” this shows how he sees how these people are seen and how we have the assumption that white people wouldn’t be accused of that. Omnar Hassan was also affected by the stereotyping. He was a police officer in London Ontario. He was from a Pakistani origin which affected how other officers seen him. In 2009, he was sued by a former police officer. He was under the assumption that because of his color and race that he was in the works with others to commit a crime. He felt as if he was not treated fairly so he went to the Ontario Human Rights Commission who help fight for his rights. Mr. Jerome Almon, a rap artist from the USA, took his matters into his own hands when he felt he was treaded unjustly. He sued the Canadian Government when he was denied or restricted to cross the border because of his race and color. He was not only affected once but was not allowed to cross 117 times between a 6 year span. He sued the government for $900 million dollars for the assumption due to race and color. Even Syrian-born Canadians are treated unfairly. Maher Arar, in September 2002, was travelling when he realized he was being judged by his color and race. He was stopped at the border and questioned for being in on a crime. He was accused of being part of the al-Qaeda terrorist network. At the time he was travelling with his wife. They decided to transport them to Syria. He was told that he was going to be tortured and beat because they assumed he was in on a terrorist attack. Eventually they dropped the charges and were given $10.5 million for his unfair treatment.

By Kristin Batterink
 * __ Historical Relevance __**

After 9/11….. - People of Arabic descent who had already passed the security tests were taken off their flights - The Canadian Government passed the Anti-Terrorism Act - Law enforcement started investigating people who had immigrated from middle eastern countries - United States declared “war on terror” - Songs such as “Imagine” by John Lennon were deemed inappropriate because of the lyrics - Within two weeks of the attacks, the California Anti-Terrorism Information Center was formed - The USA Patriot Act was passed by the U.S. Congress - Airport Security was tightened
 * Box cutters were restricted from planes
 * Cockpit doors became bulletproof and locked
 * Particular I.D. required
 * All baggage must be screened
 * No liquids allowed through checkpoints
 * People without tickets aren’t allowed at airline gates
 * Outerwear must be removed before passing through body scan machine

By Erin Benedictson
 * __ Influence on Culture __**

Once the tragedies in New York and Washington D.C. occurred, there was a rush to gain knowledge about the attacks. Americans eagerly consumed the words on the pages of newspapers and news magazines. In addition, books about terrorism were purchased in an attempt to understand what had happened. In less than a week after the catastrophic events of 9/11 popular culture began to incorporate the occasion into its assembly. It blasted in, as ever, a place where more serious organisations feared to stride. Before the smoke had cleared, TV series like The West Wing had begun to involve the immense day in their dramatic collection -- brief actions that will seem insignificant tomorrow but were all that fiction could come up with on such short notice. Radio stations continually played traditional renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner," "God Bless America," and "America the Beautiful." Artists such as a Paul McCartney and Mariah Carey composed melodies to honor those lost in the tragedies. In addition, concerts, like The Concert for New York City, were arranged to further benefit the victims. Describing the strikes on the World Trade Center, British novelist Martin Amis mused, “That second plane looked eagerly alive, and galvanised with malice, and wholly alien. For those thousands in the south tower, the second plane meant the end of everything. For us, its glint was the world flash of a coming future.”

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 * __ Work Cited __**