Racial profiling of Muslims after 9/11
Many Americans believe that Muslim is another word for terrorist. I find that very disturbing. Yes I agree that America has encountered terrorists under the Muslim faith in the recent past, but that does not make every Muslim a terrorist.
Since the attacks on America (9/11), media speculation has pointed thefinger at Muslims. A Muslim is portrayed as "terrorist", a "refugee" or"militant", but seldom a real human being. Many Muslims have been arbitrarily detained, simply because they are Muslims.
After 9/11, racism against Muslims and Islam became a form of "free speech" in the West. Muslims and Islam were subjected to widespread abuse and bashing. Shah Rukh Khan, the immensely popular Bollywood actor, found himself subjected to detention and "routine inspection" at a New Jersey airport few days back, I think had there not been a celebrity involved in this issue it would have never got a space in the main news. There are lot many other Muslims who face such kind of treatment every day.
The situation is almost the same for Muslims across the globe. They are being looked by a skeptical eye. Let me here give some examples of terrorist activities by some non Muslim terrorist groups.
o In 1886 bomb blast of Chicago during the labor rally 12 innocent people was killed and 1 policeman got injured, and the person responsible for this was an anarchist.
o 6th September 1901 the then president of U.S. William Mac Callie was assassinated by an anarchist again.
o 1st October 1910 a bomb blast took place in Los Angeles in Times newspapers building in which 21 innocent were killed. People responsible for this bomb blast were 2 Christians named James and Joseph.
o 20th June 1914 in France, The Archduke of Austria along with his wife was assassinated which precipitated the 1st world war and people responsible for this were called Young Bosnia. They were non Muslims.
o 16th April 1925, bomb blast in Saint Madelia Church in Sophaya the capital of Bulgaria in which more than 150 people were killed and more than 500 got injured. This was the biggest terrorist attack which had ever happened in Bulgaria. This was done by Bulgarian Communist Party.
o 9th October 1934 king Alexander of Yugoslavia was assassinated by Laja George Jiff and he too was a non Muslims.
o Bombing of King David Hotel on 2nd July 1946 were conducted by Ignoon under the leadership of Menican Begen. 91 innocent were killed in this attack (28 British, 41 Arabs, 17 Jews, and 5 others).
o London bombing of 7th July 2005, they were suspected to be Muslims.
o Irish Republican Army (IRA) has killed hundreds of people.
o The Lords Salvation Army is a Christian organization. They train young children to commit terrorist attacks in Africa.
We have many such examples to show the involvement of various religious groups in terrorist activities. Then why only Muslims are being stigmatised and discriminated?
In a secular and democratic country like India the picture is more or less similar or even worse sometimes. I remember the mobile SMS’s which was circulated after 9/11 said “All Muslims are not terrorist but all terrorist are Muslims”. In India whenever we talk about terrorist attacks we discuss Kashmiri Militants. In India we have terrorist groups from all the religion, including Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Communist etc. I have no idea on what grounds people conclude this. And the irony is we say this in a country which lost its three big leaders in a terrorist attack. Gandhi was killed by a Brahmin; Smt. Indira Gandhi was killed by one of her bodyguard who was a Sikh and Sri. Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a Non Muslim terrorist.
If we visit the South Asian Terrorist site, the list of South Asian terrorist portal site, the number of terrorist attacks done by Muslims are in Minority. But that is never highlighted and this website is run by a non Muslim. And this is not the end; there are many other incidents and examples which can be cited to prove that all terrorists are not Muslims. But let me clarify I am not justifying the Islamic or any kind of terrorism here.
Terrorism is not a religious act, in fact No religion permits violence. Islam fully prohibits its followers from war and any kind of violence. Any kind of racism on the grounds of Religion must be criticized and discouraged. And we the human being should remain a “Social Animal” rather than only being left as an Animal that too wild.
