September 13, 2001

6:21 AM

A repulsive article via Salon concerning protests and at a mosque outside of Chicago today. Thousands of rubes seem poised to act of their narrow conception of what an "American" looks and acts like.
posted by ryanshepard (28 comments total)

Sorry, but the article itself is not repulsive; what they're reporting on is.
posted by smich at 6:35 AM on September 13, 2001

I think people are worried similar things are going to happen here (UK) not least because of the recent race riots in Bradford. The Sun, the most popular but most xenophobic tabloid here, had this to say, in order to keep people calm. This is the paper that had a headline saying 'Gotcha' when Argentinian ships were sunk during the Falklands war.
posted by Summer at 6:47 AM on September 13, 2001

gees this is horrible horrible horrible! i was so hoping that this wouldn't happen. i'm from sydney australia and the guys at my local convenience store are being given such a hard time by morons who see any type or turban or headpiece and react blindly like a bull to red.. when will all this end? will hate always breed hate??
posted by Loula at 7:11 AM on September 13, 2001

Thanks Summer, I'm very impressed by the article in the Sun. I've very thought very highly of The Sun as a newspaper, but in this article they are perfectly right. They're saying the exact things that need to be said.
posted by Loudmax at 7:22 AM on September 13, 2001

A mosque in Sydney, Australia, was graffitied with "Lebos suck" (Sydney has a large population of Lebonese people) and a swasika, as well as an attempt to burn the place down. So the reaction isn't just in the US. BTW, I saw this on the news tonight but I couldn't find any links with an article on it. If someone finds one could they please post it.
posted by Jase_B at 7:24 AM on September 13, 2001

Sick and disgusting. The quote from the Oak Lawn boy is putrid, disturbing, and dripping with ignorance and hatred.

The south suburbs of Chicago, the near south suburbs, house a relatively large Arab-American population. Around the suburbs such as Bridgeview, though, are a lot of blue-collar white families; it's always been an uneasy mix. It's interesting to note that people (including myself) are quick to point out the segregation that goes on within the city... there's also a lot of it in the near suburbs.

I've never minded Bridgeview on the whole. It's pretty much like the near west suburbs, in that it serves as a residential community to a lot of hard working people. Commercial areas reflect the heritage of the town's citizens.

Last night local newscasts were receiving calls saying that people were shot in these suburbs - all false.
posted by hijinx at 7:25 AM on September 13, 2001

Smich is right - I'm just angry and linking faster than I can think clearly, I guess.
posted by ryanshepard at 7:59 AM on September 13, 2001

why doesn't the president tell the people of america that their neighbors, their fellow americans (citizens, immigrants, etc.,) are innocent until proven guilty,
and that the government will find the guilty parties, and to not judge and incriminate their neighbors who look a little different or sometimes speak and dress a little different?

why can't the president realize that he holds so much power to keep america together and mere words can calm me and other folks from being afraid of the repurcussions?
posted by m2bcubed at 8:07 AM on September 13, 2001

m2b: he just said we need to "whip" (yes, whip) the people who did this. How's 'dem words?
posted by hijinx at 8:10 AM on September 13, 2001

As soon as the Arab-American community stops saying, "not me, it wasn't me" and affirmatively stands up and announces their willingness to rain merciless destruction upon all Arabs and Muslims responsible for this outrage, and all Arab and Muslim states who in any way tolerate or accomodate terrorists, they will be naturally suspect.

After all, it wasn't bleeding-heart liberals who showed the wrongness of the Japanese internments in WWII, it was the amazing courage and fortitude of the 442 RCT.
posted by MattD at 8:12 AM on September 13, 2001

It's a shame that Arab-Americans will need to reduce themselves to
spouting slack-jawed, reactionary comments so they
can walk the streets and worship in peace. I can only
hope this affair opens a few people's minds about the real
complexity of the United States' character, and makes them aware that all of this "land of the free, home of the brave, champion of liberty" rhetoric being
slung about is, at best, half-truths.
posted by ryanshepard at 8:27 AM on September 13, 2001

I am embarrassed to read this. These people are not indicative of Americans, or of White people.

When the Cole was attacked, one of my co-workers said, "Yemen? That's a country? How come I have never heard of it?"

I would like to see a news show give a lesson on the middle-east. Show people the difference between Yemen and Lebanon and Iraq... show a map. Too many people have no clue what the differences are between those countries, and the result is ignorant violence.

I fear that the only map we will see, will have diagrams showing where the airstrikes hit.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 8:36 AM on September 13, 2001

The internment camps weren't wrong because some bunch of Japanese-American soldiers were brave, they were wrong because they were a racist violation of human rights.
posted by sudama at 8:39 AM on September 13, 2001

To Bush's credit he did denounce acts against Arab-Americans and Muslims in his most recent appearance.
posted by owillis at 8:41 AM on September 13, 2001

The address and phone number of the bigot in the article. (Well, maybe -- the city, state, and last name match up with only one result)
posted by jragon at 8:46 AM on September 13, 2001

How long did it take to start up Japanese concentration camps after Pearl Harbor?

Some people see to heading in that direction now with Arab-Americans.
posted by BarneyFifesBullet at 8:47 AM on September 13, 2001

See that is the thing you people don't get. Now I am not supporting the violence, but these organizations do have followers over here. Attending our universities, living in our neighborhoods. It is hard to filter them out, damn near impossible. So the fear factor takes over the people who are doing these things and they lash out. I know it is wrong, and the Arab / Islamic community in America has been living with at least 10 years of resentment in the states (gulf war, the towers,...), but unfortunately posting prophetic comments on such a board isn't going to change any one. We saw it in World War 1 and 2 with German immigrants. You say the internment camps where wrong, but maybe there were for the people's own safety from the ugly Americans?
posted by crackheadmatt at 8:50 AM on September 13, 2001

By "showed the wrongness" I did not mean the underlying moral incorrectness -- I meant the people who demonstrated that fact. No one gave a rat's ass about civil libertarians and their complaints during World War II or shortly thereafter ... but the courage and fortitude of the 442nd made a huge impact. The role of the 442nd and similarly distinguished African-American combat units in laying the foundation of the civil rights movement can never be overemphasized.
posted by MattD at 8:55 AM on September 13, 2001

I would like to see a news show give a lesson on the middle-east. Show people the difference between Yemen and Lebanon and Iraq... show a map.

I think that would be a very smart thing to do. Perhaps those who feel similarly should e-mail the networks and their local news outlets (don't forget the papers) making such a suggestion. I'm going to do that right now.

And in case anyone here would like to see such a map, for their own reference, I've put one up here.
posted by Dreama at 9:28 AM on September 13, 2001

i can't believe there's people in this thread rationalizing internment camps. simply can't believe it. i'm embarrassed for all of us.
posted by fishfucker at 9:56 AM on September 13, 2001

If even one spokesperson (self-appointed or otherwise) for the American Arab and Muslim communities didn't qualify their statements of outrage about the attack on America with calls for America to deny itself retaliation overseas, and other indications of sympathy for virulently anti-American Arabs and Muslims abroad, particularly as evidenced in the West Bank and Gaza, I'd feel much better. In war, those who protect the enemy ARE the enemy.
posted by MattD at 10:29 AM on September 13, 2001

Uhh, MattD? Start feeing better.
posted by daver at 10:43 AM on September 13, 2001

I am very concerned for a co-worker who is Egyptian and who arrived here in Boston over the weekend. Now he needs to return to his home in the Bay Area, and I am quite sure he is going to be harassed by authorities and civilians alike, especially when he tries to get on a transcontinental flight at Logan Airport.

My wife works with a Saudi citizen, and he is almost too afraid to leave his apartment.
posted by briank at 11:21 AM on September 13, 2001

owillis - do you happen to have a link to that speech? is it the one he gave this morning?

i'm sure if another internment happens it will indeed be justified as being "for their own protection".

Now I am not supporting the violence, but these organizations do have followers over here. Attending our universities, living in our neighborhoods. It is hard to filter them out, damn near impossible.

we are not supposed to filter them out; they are entitled to their beliefs. hell, we let neo-nazis parade around in their uniforms, don't we? i don't see that this is any justification for the attacks; i also do think Bush made it worse with his 'enemy hiding in the shadows" rhetoric. talk about inflaming paranoia.
posted by mjane at 12:33 PM on September 13, 2001

owillis - do you happen to have a link to that speech? is it the one he gave this morning?

In his absence, I'll fill in: it was in Bush's phone conversation with Gov. Pataki amd Mayor Guiliani:

I know I don't need to tell you all this, but our nation must be mindful that there are thousands of Arab Americans who live in New York City who love their flag just as much as the three of us do.  And we must be mindful that as we seek to win the war that we treat Arab Americans and Muslims with the respect they deserve.  I know that is your attitudes, as well; it's certainly the attitude of this government, that we should not hold one who is a Muslim responsible for an act of terror.  We will hold those who are responsible for the terrorist acts accountable, and those who harbor them.

(Bush has handled today's events pretty well.)
posted by holgate at 1:19 PM on September 13, 2001

owillis - do you happen to have a link to that speech? is it the one he gave this morning?

In his absence, I'll fill in: it was in Bush's phone conversation with Gov. Pataki amd Mayor Guiliani:

I know I don't need to tell you all this, but our nation must be mindful that there are thousands of Arab Americans who live in New York City who love their flag just as much as the three of us do.  And we must be mindful that as we seek to win the war that we treat Arab Americans and Muslims with the respect they deserve.  I know that is your attitudes, as well; it's certainly the attitude of this government, that we should not hold one who is a Muslim responsible for an act of terror.  We will hold those who are responsible for the terrorist acts accountable, and those who harbor them.

(Bush has handled today's events pretty well.)
posted by holgate at 1:20 PM on September 13, 2001

Blame CNN? it probably would have never happened if it wasn't for this kind of footage. Werd to Yohan and everyone at surfstation.lu
posted by Lech at 3:18 AM on September 14, 2001

More sickness. "Allah had no son". You see, all we need to do is send this guy in, and he will surely straighten out all those confused Muslims. end sarcasm. (i have a muslim friend of mine officiating my wedding in 2 weeks. he can do that because he is an imam in his house and can perform weddings and other ceremonies. he is to wear his cufi and other Muslim clothing, the name espaces me now of the outfit's name. i am not changing that because of this, despite many of my fiancee's relatives being Jewish. Anyone want to come?)
posted by adampsyche at 4:22 AM on September 14, 2001