Blog Entry 4

Following the 9/11 attacks, Muslims and Arabs were treated poorly. Hate crimes against Arabs and Muslims spiked 1,700 percent in the first six months after September 11. Moustafa Bayoumi writes stories about young Arabs in America. The FBI held meetings with the community leaders and leaders were required to condemn terrorism in front of them. Prior to 9/11, only 11 FBI agents could speak Arabic fluently. There are terms that have been created known as ‘flying while Muslim’ or sometimes, TWA (traveling while Arab). We learned in class about Arabs on flights being asked to leave because they were speaking Arabic. This caused controversy. In one of Moustafa’s stories, Rasha, a young Arab woman, was arrested along with her family because she had her visa refused. She, her mother and sisters met Pakistani women, Arab Women, and other Muslims detained under similar circumstances. The correctional officers treated them with little respect, and Rasha found them abusive. They were released three months later. When Rasha ran into a former guard at a restaurant, she confronted him. He replied, “Ah, wow. See? You cleaned up your act. At airports, Muslims are racially profiled and might be ‘randomly’ selected for further screening. When Arabs come to the United States, and their name is Osama or Najwa, they are asked if they want to keep their names. Some names such as A.J. Racy have been abbreviated from Ali Jihad (A.J.).  There is also a Patriot Act where the government, for instance, has the right to demand what books you rented at a library. Moreover, Muslims and Arabs might live in Brooklyn or Detroit because there is a higher concentration of Arabs in these communities. Still today, there is discrimination, hatred, and hostility toward Arabs. Not all Arabs are terrorists, in fact, Islam itself is a peaceful religion. It is a shame the fear and worry Arabs and Muslims live with following 9/11.

Blog Entry 3

After reading poems from Suheir Hammad and watching the film, Salt of This Sea, I now better understand her reason for giving the title, Born Palestinian Born Black, as the title of her collection of poems. Her poems are powerful, inspiring, and its amazing how you can feel so strongly as if you were in Palestine. Her use of diction and imagery make you feel angry. She is direct and explicit in her poems. She does not hold anything back. I believe she gives this title to her collection of poems because she is drawing an analogy to the lives of Africans Americans and oppression. History shows the KKK, lynching, segregation, slavery, and oppression.  Palestinian Arabs have darker skin and are oppressed. For instance, Nakba, in 1948, forced 700,000 Palestinians out of their homes. Israelis occupied Palestinian territory including Jaffa. Moreover, the Sabra and Shatila massacre killed 3,000 Palestinians and Lebanese refugees. Sadly, such events demonstrate the violence, hatred, and oppression towards Palestinians. Her poems portray animosity, violence, dehumanization as well. The film, directed by Annemarie Jacir, was also interesting to watch. I understand now that they were harassed while shooting the film and Jacir is no longer allowed in Palestine. The film was eye-opening for me. I have never been to Israel or Palestine, and I thought it was interesting the interrogation every time Soroya arrived at a checkpoint. I have been questioned at airports, but nothing like this. I can see how that might upset someone or anger them. I liked how when traveling to Israel, they were able to pass through security by the two men wearing a yamaka, changing the radio station, and Soroya speaking English - not Arabic. If I recall correctly from the movie, they had a Star of David hanging down from the rear view mirror. I also learned from class that the Star of David can be seen in negative fashion relating to anti-Sematic attacks. The Israel-Palestine conflict is so comprehensive that I wonder if they will ever have peace between Israel and Palestine. I sure hope so. The Oslo Accords, the Camp David Accords, Two-State Solution all have not been successful. I believe Suheir Hammad is an excellent representation of an Arab-American who is inspiring, and pushing for action. I really enjoyed her poems, and when she reads the poems out loud - she is well spoken.

106. Suheir Hammad - "We Spent the 4th of July in Bed

Blog Entry 2

I believe Kahlil Gibran is an excellent representation of Arab American culture. His book, "The Prophet," was very successful, translated into so many languages and is used today for celebrations including weddings and funerals. I felt sorry that Kahlil lost family members early on, and did not come from much money. He was not going to be rich from writing, "The Prophet." However, his stories are inspiring. I enjoyed the movie, and found the images of each story to be cultural. The stories were told through imagery, which is common in the Arab World. Each story about love, marriage, and death all were posed so beautifully. I liked how Al Mustafa was not afraid to be locked away or die. He seemed almost relaxed and comforted in knowing his afterlife. I liked when Almitra finally spoke. I knew she would at some point, but I kept waiting. I was happy that Almitra and her mother were able to protect his paintings and writings from the authority. In addition, I liked how when the town’s people were upset with Almitra for stealing, Al Mustafa made them settle down and be nice to the little girl. He protected her, and she wanted to protect him in prison and get him to escape. I also liked how well-respected Al Mustafa was in town. No one wanted to see him leave or be locked up or die. Everyone was rooting for him. To me, this makes me believe his stories were meaningful and inspired others. I feel as though Kahlil Gibran was clearly talented, but was able to use his success to impact the lives of others. I am glad we got a chance to learn about him in this class because I never heard of him prior. My mom says she has heard of the book, but I had not.