The intense anxiety and unease that Nigerians in the diaspora now feel in the wake of Umar Farouk Abdul-Mutallab’s attempted terrorist attack on a Delta/Northwest Airline reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a new Iranian doctoral student in my school. Out of the blues, he asked me if I had ever experienced any overt or covert discrimination here on account of my faith.
This wiry, petite, self-contained, almost timid, and apparently good-natured Iranian is less than four months old in America. But in his very first week here, he was racially profiled by—wait for it— an African American janitor who was sufficiently terrified by the sight of a Middle Eastern-looking man in the communication building that she called the police. She thought the man had come to blow off the building!
(A somewhat similar incident happened two years ago. One of my students told me she came late to class because she was compelled to hurriedly get off the train before she reached her destination. Reason: she saw two Middle-Eastern-looking men arguing and speaking “what sounded like Arabic.” So she thought they were planning to bomb the train!)
Anyway, back to the original story. The police arrived within minutes and accosted the Iranian. It turned out that he was a harmless new PhD student who just happened to be Middle Eastern—a part of the world that is now invariably associated with terrorism. The police apologized and left the poor guy alone. This disconcerting baptismal encounter with racial profiling, borne out of the stereotype that all Middle Easterners are America-hating terrorists, shook him deeply.
Although he routinely seeks my counsel to navigate the often difficult contours that the American education system can be for international students, he never discussed his experience with me. I heard it from the Black American janitor who reported him to the police. (She told me triumphantly that she’d just aborted a terrorist plot!)
But exactly a week before Abdul-Mutallab’s unfortunate attempted terrorist act, the Iranian student asked me if I had ever suffered any form of religious bigotry in America. And my response was “no.”
I then proceeded to explain to him why this might be so. When people see me in America, I said, they just see a generic “black male.” But when I speak with my non-American accent, they further redefine me as an “African” male. And when they get to know my first name, they might conclude that I am an “African Muslim.” If they get even closer and find that I am from Nigeria, they might narrow down their definition of me to a “Nigerian Muslim,” and probably a “northern Nigerian Muslim.”
Historically, I continued, the American public has never associated “African Islam,” however this is defined, with terrorism in spite of the episodic eruptions of senseless religious violence in northern Nigeria. In fact, many American scholars of African Islam have cautioned against making connections between the periodic slaughterous religious upheavals in northern Nigeria and al-Qaeda’s ideology of visceral and murderous hate for America and the West. I cited a few scholars to support my position. (Somalia is the exception).
Although the stereotyping of Middle Easterners as terrorists is inspired largely by the fact of their being predominantly Muslims, it is still more racial than religious, I argued. A Coptic Christian from Egypt or a Maronite Christian from Lebanon has as much chance to be profiled as a potential terrorist as any Middle-Eastern Muslim, I said.
That’s why Edward Said, the late legendary Columbia University professor who was of Palestinian Christian heritage, invested more intellectual energy defending Islam than any Arab Muslim scholar I know. He knew that, however hard he tried, he couldn’t escape the courtesy stigma that comes from the association of the entire Middle East with so-called Islamic terrorism.
Conversely, a citizen of Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country, doesn’t have to worry about being stereotyped as a terrorist. Except he dresses in prototypic Muslim attires and keeps a long beard, he is likely to be perceived by the Western mind as simply an “Asian” or, if you like, a “Southeast Asian.” The Iranian was persuaded.
But exactly a week after this conversation, the young Abdul-Mutallab struck—or attempted to strike. And the narrative has changed. My logic has been rudely subverted. Now, because of the isolated, misguided action of one crazed, fanatical, spoiled brat who has spent more time outside Nigeria than he spent in it, all Nigerians are labeled potential terrorists—at least for now. So no longer will the perception of me as an “African” or “Nigerian” Muslim conjure notions of tolerant, non-violent Islam. In my own case, I share the same first name with the would-be terrorist. My luck can’t get any tougher than this.
I started feeling the pangs of this ill-luck rather early. My American friend who invited me to his home for a Christmas dinner joked that I would now henceforth always have to introduce myself to Americans by saying, “I’m Farooq from Nigeria and I’m not a terrorist.”
But this isn’t even a joke any more. On December 27 a Nigerian passenger on a Delta/Northwest flight was harassed and detained at the Detroit Metro Airport because he allegedly spent too much time in the toilet and was therefore assumed to be brewing some terroristic machinations. The poor man was most probably even a Christian. But he nonetheless committed a new crime in America: flying while Nigerian.
Now, if you're Nigerian, and you head into the toilet on an airline, better not release gas too loudly! That may be mistaken for a terrorist bomb. You know, stereotyping is a great timesaver; it enables lazy people to rush to quick judgment without the pesky encumbrance of nuance and factual information.
Author can be contacted at farooqkperogi@gmail.com. He blogs at www.farooqkperogi.blogspot.com
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Comments Page: 1  posted on 01-02-2010, 09:45:57 AM Eire Re: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)Nonsense, You are spreading fear and anxiety and all of a sudden northern Nigerian Muslims with Arabic style names want to "include" all Nigerians in their plight. As far as I know in the last few days of the holiday festive season only Northern Nigerians with malamic/arab names have any cause for concern. If anything you and your iranian, yemeni and arab "brothers", the people you folks always wanted to get "close" to (even if they treat you like 3rd class citizens) are the only ones who have anything to worry about! I am happy this is the case! For a while the world did not know of the murdering and pillaging perpetrated by islamists in Northern Nigeria but that little boy has finally opened ya "yansh"...words like Northern Nigeria, terrorism, Yemen cleric, Iran influence, Saudi links and the like have filled google. Many western people have finally started to see the similarities between Northern Nigerian Muslims and their middle eastern counterparts, and have connected the dots. I think you should make excuses for you and any one of your Northern Nigerian "moderate Muslims" instead of thinking Southern Nigerians (most of whom are Christians) fit your stereotype of an Islamic terrorist that should be harassed like you and your Arab Muslim bedmates! Tufiakwa!!! I disown you people forever!!!!  posted on 01-02-2010, 12:11:29 PM LapalapaRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)Thank you, Mallam Farooq. I find myself in the same situation as you, one of the reasons I'm really very angry with this fake Nigerian Mutallab guy. I am an extremely patriotic Nigerian who has always defined a Nigerian to the outside world by three basic characteristics:
1. He is very hardworking and would do anything to succeed; 2. When he is down, never count him out because he has an unflinching belief that he will rise up and get to the top; and 3. He loves his life so much he is the least likely person in the world to attempt suicide! For the past 15 years outside the shores of Nigeria, these characteristics have been tested and found to be true about most Nigerians in diaspora. This stupid boy has removed the third leg of the tripod and now I don't know how to face my colleagues at work next Monday. My inbox is already bursting with unpleasant mails! posted on 01-02-2010, 12:21:34 PM IyeRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)You guys just make been a Nigeria boring…..what’s the bit deal about facing some educated illiterate set of people….if they are smart enough they will know that one person does not equate to the whole of Nigeria….moreover he picked the bad habit in the west…..
Look at the Arabs they still proudly display themselves as one…..pls, people grow some self esteem. posted on 01-02-2010, 12:25:10 PM YokofilemuRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)its too bad Mutallab went all the way. But then I am of the opinion that Nigeria should not just blame Yemen and London. I strongly believe that the boy was indoctrinated in Nigeria. If you listen to some of the preachings in Northern Nigeria you will surprise. No one notices these things. These inciteful sermons could make anyone crazy. Mutallab is a product of all the anger in Northern Nigeria over nothing. Is bombing the US worth it? Right now many Nigerians support that boy. They blame the US for everything. Its high time we started teaching our people the truth about the world. Farouk, I give you kodus for always saying the truth.
George. (Moses' cousin) posted on 01-02-2010, 12:51:13 PM LoveNigeriaRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)For me it is:
Hello, I'm Southern Nigerian Christian and I'm Not, Never been and Never will be a terrorist !! I think the western world has started to make that distinction now -after all it's their lives and security at stake. posted on 01-02-2010, 16:45:11 PM KubaRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)We are just causing un necessary alarm. Every Nigerian knows that the name Nigeria often brings misfortune. We cann't kill ourselves. The way of surviving it is to pray that God may guide us and on the other hand, we need to be ourselves. Let's aviod imitation of people, things and countries. We only need to proud of our nation and that's all! posted on 01-02-2010, 17:10:17 PM Sergeant BeleRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)Who's this Eire fellow that seems to have more hatred in his/her blood than Mutallab? Be respectful pls. posted on 01-02-2010, 17:16:43 PM ByndalettoRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)to those who say d west can distinguish : d war will get here. when i hear it i ask if we all know that his father's entire estate is under review. US would look at every bit of connection he ever had. and we are talking bank chairman! Nigeria is not Iran so we comply.
then any basis for opposing or checking Africom gone up in puff. Any debate about greater leadership when real nations gather, non-existent. for my friend when he says 'u r spreading fear', dis is not capable of being overblown! it's enuf trouble as it is...perfect tragedy:-( then there's chaos at home. I no know how una dey think am, wahala dey! posted on 01-02-2010, 17:38:40 PM EmjRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)QUOTE:
You have nothing to fear as a Nigerian so long as ur ways are clean. This does not define us as a people. It's not in our character to want to die. The boy is more of a difficult and troubled child. Very confused and got brainwashed. Anyone could be a terrorists....  posted on 01-02-2010, 18:07:36 PM IyeRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)QUOTE:
Hmmmmmmm....like who    posted on 01-02-2010, 18:09:13 PM EmjRe: Hello, I`m Nigerian And I`m Not A Terrorist! (1)QUOTE:
You moi cheerie and mother nature...dumping snow right now   Comments Page: 1 |
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