DOCSLIB.ORG

The War on Terror and the Muslim American Response

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The War on Terror and the Muslim American Response © COPYRIGHT by Maha Hilal 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I dedicate this dissertation to my father, Mohammed Hilal (1945-1992), whose love and care shaped my road to success. This dissertation is also dedicated to my beautiful and amazingly compassionate mother, Laila El-Marazki, who has been my pillar of strength throughout the process of obtaining my doctorate. This dissertation is also dedicated to all those who have suffered injustice and to those who speak up in the face of injustice. “TOO DAMN MUSLIM TO BE TRUSTED”: THE WAR ON TERROR AND THE MUSLIM AMERICAN RESPONSE BY Maha Hilal ABSTRACT “Our war is not against Islam…..Our war is a war against evil…” -President George W. Bush Despite President Bush’s rhetoric attempting to separate Muslims in general from terrorists who adhere to the Islamic faith, the policies of the War on Terror have generally focused on Muslims domestically and abroad, often for no greater reason than a shared religious identity with the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack (see for example, National Special Entry-Exit Registration). While foreign-born Muslims were the primary subjects of earlier policies in the War on Terror, several cases involving Muslim Americans suggest that despite holding U.S. citizenship, they may be subject to differential standards of justice (i.e. Hamdi v. Rumsfeld or the targeted killing of Anwar Al-Awlaki). Building on previous scholarship that has examined the Muslim American experience post 9/11, this dissertation focuses on the relationship between the substance and implementation of laws and policies and Muslim American attitudes towards political efficacy and orientations towards the U.S. government. In addition, this dissertation examines the relationship between policy design and implementation and Muslim American political participation, alienation, and withdrawal. This study was approached through the lens of social construction in policy design, a theoretical framework that was pioneered by Anne Schneider and Helen Ingram. Schneider and ii Ingram (1993, 1997) focus on the role of public policy in fostering and maintaining democracy. With the goal of understanding public policy as a vehicle to promoting or inhibiting democracy, their analysis focuses on how the use of social constructions of different policy group targets can affect their attitudes towards government and citizenship, in addition to behaviors such as political participation. According to Schneider and Ingram (1993, 1997, 20005), groups with favorable constructions can expect to receive positive treatment and exhibit positive attitudes towards government and participate at higher levels than groups with negative social constructions, who will develop negative orientations towards government, a decrease in feelings of political efficacy, and lower levels of political participation. Within this conceptualization of the impact of policy on target groups is the element of political power, which Schneider and Ingram (1993, 1997, 2005) examine as a measure of the degree to which different target groups can challenge their social construction and, subsequently, the policy benefits or burdens directed at them. Research studying the impact of policies on differently constructed groups (welfare recipients, veterans, etc.) has empirically verified Schneider and Ingram’s (1993, 1997, 2005) social construction in policy design theory. However, none of the existing research has yet to apply this framework to Muslim Americans as a group and in the context of counter-terrorism policies. In order to situate the Muslim American responses according to the theories’ main propositions, this study provides a background on many of the post 9/11 counter-terrorism policies, highlighting those policies that have disproportionately impacted members of this group. This research also examines how the War on Terror has been framed, and the actors involved in the construction of the Muslim image, with a focus on discerning the ways in which iii members of this population have been demonized and positioned as collectively responsible for acts of terrorism perpetrated by other Muslims. This study utilized a mixed methods approach and included a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. Purposive sampling was used in order to obtain a sample of Muslim Americans from different racial and ethnic backgrounds proportionate to the demographics of this community in the United States. The study findings are based on surveys from 75 individuals and interviews with 61 individuals. The findings in this study reveal that Muslim Americans overwhelmingly perceive themselves to be the target of the War on Terror policies. Further, the data in this study shows that Muslim Americans across a range of backgrounds question the degree to which they are entitled to equity in both cultural and legal citizenship, including procedural justice. Despite exhibiting these views towards citizenship and procedural justice, a majority of Muslim Americans nonetheless reported increased levels of political participation as a response to policies that targeted them. These findings provide additional empirical support for the social construction in policy design framework. Specifically, this data demonstrates that Muslim Americans in large part believe themselves to be the policy targets and have internalized many of the social constructions that have emerged vis-à-vis policy design and implementation. Consequently, and as the framework suggests, Muslim Americans have developed subsequently negative orientations towards government and a sense of diminished citizenship. While the study results in terms of increased political participation may appear to be at odds with what the framework suggests (i.e. decreased political participation for negatively constructed powerless groups), these increased levels of political participation are more properly couched as being a function of fear or threat, iv and in this sense a symptom of being targeted. These findings not only provide support for the social construction in policy design theory, they also underscore the implications of creating policy that works towards buttressing a democratic system with equal citizenship, which includes the ability for all citizens to voice discontent. v PREFACE fire in the city air and i feared for my sister's life in a way never before. and then, and now, i fear for the rest of us. first, please god, let it be a mistake, the pilot's heart failed, the plane's engine died. then please god, let it be a nightmare, wake me now. please god, after the second plane, please, don't let it be anyone who looks like my brothers. i do not know how bad a life has to break in order to kill. i have never been so hungry that i willed hunger i have never been so angry as to want to control a gun over a pen. not really. even as a woman, as a palestinian, as a broken human being. never this broken. more than ever, i believe there is no difference. the most privileged nation, most americans do not know the difference between indians, afghanis, syrians, muslims, sikhs, hindus. more than ever, there is no difference. … one more person ask me if i knew the hijackers. one more motherfucker ask me what navy my brother is in. one more person assume no arabs or muslims were killed.one more person assume they know me, or that i represent a people. or that a people represent an evil. or that evil is as simple as a flag and words on a page. we did not vilify all white men when mcveigh bombed oklahoma. america did not give out his family's addresses or where he went to church. or blame the bible or pat robertson. and when the networks air footage of palestinians dancing in the street, there is no apology that hungry children are bribed with sweets that turn their teeth brown. that correspondents edit images. that archives are there to facilitate lazy and inaccurate journalism. and when we talk about holy books and hooded men and death, why do we never mention the kkk? Suheir Hammad, First Writing Since vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS As I turn the pages of my dissertation and close this chapter of my life, I am simultaneously reflecting on all the individuals who helped me to get to this point. First and foremost, I would like to thank my committee members, whose support brought me to the finish line. I came to know each of them through different points in my PhD career, and they have all indelibly shaped my scholarly journey. I have known Dr. Abu-Nimer from my first days at American University, and I cannot thank him enough for serving as the chair of my dissertation committee. I also thank him for his tutelage, immense knowledge, and genuine care for me as a student. His work and efforts to secure peace in different communities around the world continues to inspire me, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to study under him. I owe much thanks to Dr. David Fagelson. In the spring of 2009, I took my first class with Dr. Fagelson and his classes on philosophy, which seemed abstract at first, taught me the value and importance of critical thinking. I have fond memories from all his classes and will carry everything I learned from them with me throughout my scholarly journey. Dr. Fagelson was also one of my biggest supports throughout this process, and I know that without his assistance, care, and belief in my ability to succeed, I would have never persevered in this program. To him, I owe my deepest thanks. Professor Mertus was critical in my journey throughout the PhD. Before coming to American University, I had purchased a book she edited titled The Suitcase: Refugee Voices from Bosnia and Croatia. I absolutely loved the book and was extremely enthusiastic when I learned of the opportunity to take one of her classes at American University. I took Professor Mertus’ class on human rights in the fall of 2009 and not only did she re-invigorate my passion for human rights, she also embodied the true meaning of what a scholar-practitioner is.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sociology Course Unit Guide 2018-19
    Faculty of Humanities School of Social Sciences SOCIOLOGY COURSE UNIT GUIDE 2018-19 SOCY10401: Social Inequalities in Contemporary Britain Semester: 1 Credits: 20 Convenor: Dr Nadim Mirshak Contents 1. Essential Information 2. Course Content A. Aims & Outcomes B. Lectures & Reading List C. Tutorial Guide D. Assignments & Assessments 3. Feedback 4. Your Commitment 5. Referencing & Plagiarism 6. Assessment Criteria Please read this guide and bring any questions with you to the lecture. Note: This course guide should be read in conjunction with the Blackboard website for the course and the Degree Handbook for your degree programme. Degree Handbooks for social science programmes are available here: http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/student-intranet/undergraduate/course- information/ If your degree is based in another school, please contact your Programme Administrator for your handbook. 1 1. ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Contacts Lecturer: Nadim Mirshak Room: 3.038, 3rd Floor Arthur Lewis Building Telephone: Extension 58987 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: Mondays 1-2; Tuesdays 2-3 Book in advance by e-mail Tutors: Edgar Klusener Andrea Lizama Loyola Denisse Sanchez Administrator: Chantel Riley UG Office G.001 Arthur Lewis Building; (0161) 2753953; [email protected] Times and Dates Lectures: Mondays 11-1 in Simon Building Theatre C Tutorials: Allocate yourself to a tutorial group using the Student System. This is compulsory and on a first come, first served basis. Please note that tutorials will start in the
    [Show full text]
  • Mehdi Semati
    Mehdi Semati ISLAMOPHOBIA, CULTURE AND RACE IN THE AGE OF EMPIRE This paper offers a genealogical sketch of the figure of the Muslim Other as it is figured in the post-Cold War popular and political imaginary. It explores why ‘culture’ has acquired a putative explanatory power in the post-Cold War (geo)politics. In addressing differentialist racism, it posits Islamophobia as an ideological response that conflates histories, politics, societies and cultures of the Middle East into a single unified and negative conception of an essentialized Islam, which is then deemed incompatible with Euro-Americaness. In this context, the category of brown, once the signifier of an exotic Other, is undergoing a transformation in conjunction with the deepening of Islamophobia, a formation that posits brown, as a strategy of identification, as alterity to the Euro- Americanness, and as terror and threat. Keywords Islamophobia; race; culture; brown; difference; differentialist racism; Muslim identity; terrorism Introduction: ‘Security-Other’ In November 2006, six Muslim imams were removed from a flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix because passengers and the flight crew had become ‘spooked’ by ‘suspicious behavior’ on the part of the imams (Saunders 2007). According to an Associate Press report, the police listed the episode as ‘Security- Other,’ although some saw it as a case of ‘flying while Muslim’ (Freed 2006). When the removed passengers later declared they would file a lawsuit against the airline and ‘John Doe passengers’ for discrimination, an amendment was promptly introduced in the Congress to shield passengers from lawsuits because such lawsuits ‘chill the flying public’s willingness to report suspicious behavior’ (Saunders 2007).
    [Show full text]
  • Thesis Islamicodes: the Post-9/11 Racialization Of
    THESIS ISLAMICODES: THE POST-9/11 RACIALIZATION OF COUNTER-TERRORISM Submitted by Jamal Kamandy Department of Ethnic Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado Summer 2013 Master’s Committee: Advisor: Joon Kim Karina Cespedes Lynn Hempel ABSTRACT ISLAMICODES: THE POST-9/11 RACIALIZATION OF COUNTER-TERRORISM After 9/11, a conceptual conflation between Islam and terrorism occurred within American culture and public spheres, forming a new epistemology, Islamicodes. In order to understand how Islamicodes have influenced U.S. Counter-terrorism efforts, this thesis analyzes American culture and the judicial system through discourse, semiotics, and power/knowledge. This article will argue that the conceptual conflation of Islam and terrorism, through the usage of language, symbols, and institutional practices, severely limits the Constitutional rights and life chances of Muslims in America. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................... ii THE HIJACKING OF THE MUSLIM IDENTITY........................................................................1 THE THEORY OF ISLAMICODES...............................................................................................5 THE ISLAMICODES OF AMERICAN CULTURE....................................................................21 U.S. CRIMINAL CODES ARE ISLAMICODES.........................................................................39
    [Show full text]
  • Islamophobia & Muslims' Religious Experiences In
    ISLAMOPHOBIA & MUSLIMS‘ RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES IN THE MIDWEST— PROPOSING CRITICAL MUSLIM THEORY A MUSLIM AUTOETHNOGRAPHY by MOHAMAD RIDHUAN ABDULLAH B.Ed. (TESL), University Technology of MARA, 2003 M.S., Kansas State University, 2009 AN ABSTRACT OF A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Curriculum and Instruction College of Education KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Manhattan, Kansas 2013 Abstract This study explored Islamophobia and Muslims‘ religious experiences in the Midwest. Its purpose was to propose a new theory named Critical Muslim Theory. The research methodology was autoethnography (me, the researcher) in concert with discovering in-depth experiences and narratives of nine Muslim participants (five Muslim females and four Muslim males) in dealing with Islamophobia. Religion became the centrality of Critical Muslim Theory in replacing race (as in Critical Race Theory) while centralizing other oppressions Muslims experience through intersections with religion and law, religion and gender, and religion and race. Critical Muslim Theory represents six basic tenets, namely: (a) Islamophobia is endemic and pervasive, (b) Critical Muslim Theory is critical towards how the dominant society views Islam and Muslims, (c) Islamophobia is a social construction, (d) Legal basis, (e) Intersectionality, and (f) Storytelling and counterstories reveal the oppression and pain of Muslims. An historical context was established for Muslims in the United States of America, although more research needs to be contributed to this area. Instances of interest convergence also were present, however, more research in this area is needed. One recommendation from this research suggests combating ignorance through education and establishing a pure relationship between Muslims and non- Muslims through dialogue for understanding.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim American Spokesmanship in the Age of Islamophobia
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 The Struggle for Recognition: Muslim American Spokesmanship in the Age of Islamophobia Nazia Kazi Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/436 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] THE STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION: MUSLIM AMERICAN SPOKESMANSHIP IN THE AGE OF ISLAMOPHOBIA Nazia Kazi Dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Anthropology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York. 2014 © 2014 NAZIA KAZI All rights reserved ii This manuscript has been read and accepted for the Graduate Faculty in Anthropology in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. _______________ VINCENT CRAPANZANO Date ____________________________________ (SIGNATURE) Chair of Examining Committee _______________ GERALD CREED Date ____________________________________ (SIGNATURE) Executive Officer JEFF MASKOVSKY DANA-AIN DAVIS DEEPA KUMAR Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract The Struggle for Recognition: Muslim American Spokesmanship in the Age of Islamophobia by Nazia Kazi Advisor: Vincent Crapanzano The events of 9/11/2001 intensified the hypervisibility of U.S. Muslims, making them the subject of academic, artistic, and cultural curiosity. Alongside this public hypervisibility came a campaign of institutionalized Islamophobia, manifest in such measures as the anti-Muslim legislation of the USA PATRIOT Act.
    [Show full text]
  • Seeking Full Inclusion CAIR Is America’S Largest Muslim Civil Liberties and Advocacy Organization
    Council on American-Islamic Relations The STATUS OF MUSLIM CIVIL RIGHts in the UNITED STATES 2009 Seeking Full Inclusion CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. CAIR would like to acknowledge and thank Khadija Athman, Nadhira Al-Khalili, Aisha Shaikh, Hafsa Ahmad and Nabila Ahmad for their help in the compilation of CAIR’s 2009 Status of Muslim Civil Rights in the United States report. Table of Contents Questions about this report can be directed to: Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5 Council on American-Islamic Relations Executive Summary ..................................................................................................... 7 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE 2008 CAIR Civil Rights Findings ................................................................................. 8 Washington, DC 20003 Tel: (202) 488-8787 Statistical Highlights .................................................................................................... 8 Fax: (202) 488-0833 E-Mail: [email protected] • Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes ................................................................................ 9 • Civil Rights Cases by State ........................................................................... 9 • Civil Rights Cases
    [Show full text]
  • Anti-Muslim Racism
    1 2017 Handouts for the NAI Workshops and Modules Network Against Islamophobia – A project of Jewish Voice for Peace – Network Against Islamophobia (NAI) | AgainstIslamophobia.org | [email protected] ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 2 Handout #1 Basic Definitions of Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Racism Islamophobia is close-minded prejudice against or hatred of Islam and Muslims. ● Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), “Same Hate, Different Target: Islamophobia and Its ​ Impact in the United States” ​ Islamophobia is “an exaggerated fear, hatred, and hostility toward Islam and Muslims that is perpetuated by negative stereotypes resulting in bias, discrimination, and the marginalization and exclusion of Muslims from America’s social, political, and civic life.” ● Center for American Progress, Fear, Inc., The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America ​ Islamophobia is a central, though not exclusive, aspect of the modern concept of race and the development of anti-Muslim racism. ● Junaid Rana, “The Story of Islamophobia” ​ ​ Islamophobia is a contrived fear or prejudice fomented by the existing Eurocentric and Orientalist global power structure. It is directed at a perceived or real Muslim threat through the maintenance and extension of existing disparities in economic, political, social and cultural relations, while rationalizing the necessity to deploy violence as a tool to achieve "civilizational rehab" of the target communities (Muslim or otherwise). Islamophobia reintroduces and reaffirms a global racial structure through which resource distribution disparities are maintained and extended. ● Islamophobia Research & Documentation Project, Center for Race & Gender, UC Berkeley, “Defining ​ Islamophobia” ​ I use the term “liberal Islamophobia” to make a distinction between the rhetoric of the right, which is more nakedly racist, and the rhetoric which emerges from the liberal establishment.
    [Show full text]
  • PERSPECTIVES on TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 6 Table of Contents Welcome from the Editor 1 I
    ISSN 2334-3745 Volume IX, Issue 6 December 2015 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 6 Table of Contents Welcome from the Editor 1 I. Articles The Evolution of Al Qaeda’s Global Network and Al Qaeda Core’s Position Within it: A Network Analysis 2 by Victoria Barber Radical Groups’ Social Pressure Towards Defectors: The Case of Right-Wing Extremist Groups 36 by Daniel Koehler Religion, Democracy and Terrorism 51 by Nilay Saiya 20 Years Later: A Look Back at the Unabomber Manifesto 60 by Brett A. Barnett II. Research Notes Re-Examining the Involvement of Converts in Islamist Terrorism: A Comparison of the U.S. and U.K. 72 by Sam Mullins Terrorist Practices: Sketching a New Research Agenda 85 by Joel Day Eyewitness Accounts from Recent Defectors from Islamic State: Why They Joined, What They Saw, Why They Quit 95 by Anne Speckhard and Ahmet S. Yayla III. Resources Bibliography: Homegrown Terrorism and Radicalisation 119 Compiled and selected by Judith Tinnes IV. Book Reviews Counterterrorism Bookshelf: 40 Books on Terrorism & Counter-Terrorism-Related Subjects 154 Reviewed by Joshua Sinai ISSN 2334-3745 i December 2015 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 6 V. Notes from the Editor A Word of Appreciation for Our External Peer Reviewers 167 from the Editorial Team TRI Award for Best PhD Thesis 2015: Call for Submissions 169 TRI National/Regional TRI Networks (Partial) Inventory of Ph.D. Theses in the Making 170 by Alex P. Schmid (Network Coordinator) Job Announcement: Open Rank Faculty Search at CTSS, UMass Lowell 175 About Perspectives on Terrorism 177 ISSN 2334-3745 ii December 2015 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 6 Welcome from the Editor Dear Reader, We are pleased to announce the release of Volume IX, Issue 6 (December 2015) of Perspectives on Terrorism at www.terrorismanalysts.com.
    [Show full text]
  • National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher
    NCORE Program and Resource Guide 20th Annual National Conference on Race & 2007 The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies Public and Community Services Division College of Continuing Education University OUTREACH The University of Oklahoma 2350 McKown Drive Norman, Oklahoma 73072-6678 The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. Accommodations on the basis of disability are Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE 2007) available by calling (405) 292-4172. Masks courtesy of Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, The University of Oklahoma, Norman 20TH ANNUAL National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education May 29 through June 2, 2007 F San Francisco, California Sponsored by The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies Public and Community Services Division College of Continuing Education F University OUTREACH THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE National Advisory Committee (NAC) The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education The Executive Committee of the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies serves as the primary planning body for the Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education (NCORE). The Executive Committee encourages direct, Appointment NCORE 2005—2007 Student Appointment NCORE 2007 broadly based input into the planning process from all conference participants through the conference evaluation process, discussion, and other written and verbal communication. Jason Minh Alt, Diversity Advocacy Coordinator Anita Hopson Malone, Student State University of New York—Purchase, New York The University of Oklahoma Norman—Oklahoma Richard Allen, Ph.D. George Henderson, Ph.D. Lotsee F. Patterson, Ph.D. Maricela Alvarado, Director Juan C.L.
    [Show full text]
  • Flying While Muslim: an Exploratory Study of Muslim Communities in Northern New Jersey Post 9/11
    Flying while Muslim: An Exploratory Study of Muslim Communities in Northern New Jersey Post 9/11 Mary Kay Jou, Rutgers, New Jersey (USA) This article introduces an overview of the changes in politics in the US (part 1) and the experiences of Muslims in daily life in Northern New Jersey in the years after 9/11 (part 2) based on a qualitative study. Muslim Communities in Northern New Jersey: Post 9-11 Realities In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.(Martin Luther King, Jr.) 1 Immigration and Anti-Terrorism Policies in the US Focussing immigration and anti-terrorism policies in the US Akram & Johnson (2004) do a comprehensive look at the targeting of Muslims through legislative acts prior to 9/11. A historical timeline from “Operation Boulder”, which was passed under Nixon in 1972, through the Carter years and the Iranian Hostage Crisis, to the many initiatives put in place by Reagan prevent ‘terrorists’ from entering and remaining in the United States. Mass detentions and arrests of immigrants of Arab and Iranian descent were instituted at this time. In the 1990s, President Bush turned his focus to Iraq, and Saddam Hussein. The “War on Terrorism” was instituted during his presidency, and the FBI interrogations began. Mandatory fingerprinting of all people of Arab descent was instituted by the Department of Justice, which led to the racial profiling of Arabs and Arab-Americans at airports. Using secret evidence in cases involving Arabs and Muslims was instituted long before 9-11 happened.
    [Show full text]
  • Muslim Community Reparations
    Savannah Law Review VOLUME 2 │ NUMBER 2 Muslim Community Reparations Reginald C. Wisenbaker, Jr.* Abstract Muslim Americans are often targets of ill-founded discrimination, hate, and suspicion. Through popular cultural portrayals, salacious media reporting, and targeted governmental policies, Muslim Americans suffer from discrimination because mainstream Islam has become improperly conflated with terrorism in the United States. Compounding the harm, discriminators often fail to differentiate between religious Muslim associations and other groups who presumably share similar characteristics. What results is an odd form of discrimination that sweeps a large swath of individually distinct groups into a collective by labeling these groups as terrorists, thus amassing a de facto bill of attainder for the crime of being Muslim. This Note addresses how the legal system does not combat society’s beliefs and suspicions, but instead, further legitimizes and reinforces society’s misperceptions. Additionally, this Note explores how legal claims draw upon popular cultural misconceptions, reifying rather than reforming cultural stereotypes in sanctioning religious profiling. Finally, this Note considers how legal responses to Japanese Americans after World War II invoked the social engine of repair for those Americans subject to systematic discrimination and whether such a response is warranted today for Muslim Americans. I. Introduction Muslims, and those perceived to be Muslim, are targets of discrimination, hate, and suspicion from virtually every corner of society in the United States. * Juris Doctor, Savannah Law School, 2015. I would like to extend much thanks and appreciation to Professor Caprice L. Roberts for her invaluable insight, instruction, and assistance, as well as to Alison Slagowitz and Deborah Dickson for their dedicated support and guidance.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sonification of Middle Easterns and Muslims in Hollywood Film
    CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS THESIS SIGNATURE PAGE THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY THESIS TITLE: Sounds of Fear: The Sonification of Middle Easterners and Muslims in Hollywood Film, 1950-The Present AUTHOR: Katie Gressitt-Diaz DATE OF SUCCESSFUL DEFENSE: May 3, 2017 THE THESIS HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE THESIS COMMITTEE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY. Dr. Ibrahim Al-Marashi r:/p ot?- THESIS COMMITTEE CHAIR Dr. Kimber Quinney THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER D~I~ /'H!1- _D_r_.Z_hi_. _w_e1_·Xi_._ao~~~~~~~~-·· :S-/s / 2ol7- THESIS COMMITTEE MEMBER SIGNATURE DATE Sounds of Fear: The Sonification of Middle Easterners and Muslims in Hollywood Film, 1950-The Present by Katie Gressitt-Diaz California State University, San Marcos Department of History © 2017 Table of Contents Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................... v Introduction: “Flying While Muslim” ............................................................................................................. 1 On Image .....................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]