Terrorism and Minorities in America

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"We are all crossing through a dangerous time of our generation"...writes Mahbubul Karim.

Before last week’s horrendous acts in the USA, many of us never thought we would be going through this time of insecurity and feelings of humiliation in our lives. But it is here, whether we had foreseen it or not.

President Bush’s speech was assuring towards the minorities, "We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many millions of Americans and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them." Muslims heard this speech, and many felt gratefulness towards Bush for his kind gestures. Yet many are still uneasy about the overall scenario.

On one hand we are hearing the assurance from the Government that Islam is not the enemy, and on the other hand talks of suspending or modifying many laws regarding people’s freedom are being discussed in American, Canadian, and European governments. Though this week no one is blaming the mainstream Islam openly, the underlying message is still clear for many. September 11, 2001 has changed many things, along with the negative perception toward minorities etched on the psyche of the authorities and the general population. Muslims are marked.

Northern Louisiana Congressman, Mr. John Cooksey’s careless comments regarding his vivid depiction of minority groups, "If I see someone come in and he's got a diaper on his head and a fan belt around that diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled over and checked," will incite more hate crimes toward Muslims or other minorities. Along with terrorists, the USA should take proper action toward hate mongers, too.

The talks of apprehending immigrants and holding them for indefinite time without ever providing any legal assistance, are alarming. In Canada, in the United Kingdom, and in the USA, new laws are about to be devised, where asylum seekers will be seen with new eyes. And the thousands of students who hold student visas in many western countries, are now going to be on the watch list, or their telephone or email accounts will be wire tapped if their names smell of a bit of Islamic heritage. The legal permanent residents are not out of the loop too; they are also subject to deportation any time, a completely unequal treatment compared to their citizen friends.

The terrorists have won in their initial battle. They have sowed the seeds of terror in the freedom loving Western civilizations. Before last week, the talks of curtailing the civil liberties of any human being in the western world were unthinkable. Now all bets are off. The American Civil Liberty Union and The American Immigrant Lawyer Association are raising their voices, but their voices do not have the steam they had before.

Still, among all these negative developments, President Bush’s speech is welcome to many minorities and all Americans. Terrorism in all of its forms is detested all over the world. If the fights against terrorism can be accomplished without being prejudiced against any ethnic group, the entire world will be thankful to the USA for all time to come.

There are many balanced and honorable people in the Bush administration, like General Colin Powel and Dick Cheney along with others. I sincerely hope that with their prudent leadership, the real culprits will be caught someday; and the castigation of the minorities will be uprooted along with terrorism, for good.