Racism and Nationalism After
Racism & Nationalism After 911
More than a decade after 9/11, a retrospective view of racism and nationalism in America might points to a reverse J-curve -- at least in the private realm of most people living in the U.S.A. Governmental and political reactions may still run at fevered pace, and some would say the devastation has been insidious, seeping far beyond the bounds of the attack zones. "Ten years has given us time to see the tidal waves of post-9/11 changes in our society and our world. For all the tragedy of 9/11 with the thousands killed on that day, the after-effects are far more troubling" (Rashid, 2011, 754.) Conventional wisdom has it that racism and nationalism are flip sides of the same coin. If this tack is taken, the simultaneous rise in nationalism and racism following 9/11 makes sense -- so too, does the rise of patriotism. Though reactions varied widely, overall, Americans exhibited heightened expressions of national solidarity and racism directed at those who resembled -- or could be mistaken for -- radical Islamists. The brand of racism that arose after 9/11 can fairly be termed Islamophobia.
Visceral reactions to homeland violation. Reactions to 9/11 were exaggerated for large swaths of people and demonstrations of patriotism abounded. People took flags out of storage and hung them at half-mast -- or flew them from their car antennas. The depth and suddenness with which people responded following 9/11 was precipitated by the location of the terrorist attack within America's boundaries. In the minds of many Americans, 9/11 attacks were proof that terrorists were unrecognizable enemies. Jihadists could hide anywhere -- and did -- went the logic. When the enormity of the 9/11 attacks registered -- the American homeland was not safe -- both the scope and pace of racial profiling increased in public places, and especially where large numbers of people could congregate. In the hearts and minds of countless Americans, profiling became a sometimes unconscious and sometimes deliberate vanguard of prejudice against anyone -- as Prashad noted -- with "dusky bodies" (2005, p. 586).
Targeted racism. In the days immediately following 9/11 in the United States, attacks against people who looked as though they could be Islamic increased dramatically. People from all political orientations and across the social strata reacted to the terrorist attack with rage, fear, mistrust, and shock. Much of the nation simply seemed to be in shock, their anxious or mistrustful reactions to the terrorist attack predominately suppressed. However, those who were enraged seemed bent on extracting revenge, destroying, or driving the other across the country's borders and bordering seas. Fear and mistrust became key drivers of federal policy when eleven days after September 11, 2001,the Office of Homeland Security was established in the White House to safeguard the nation against terrorism and ensure readiness to respond to attacks that happen in the future. Indeed, Rashid asserts that the anti-Muslim, anti-Islamic rhetoric has precipitated an enormous and profitable industry -- one that plays out particularly well in the political arena. Rashid also argues that there has been a steady and alarming increase in "prejudice, misunderstanding and, often, intentional provocation. (2011, 755). He cites the following:
The burning of the Qur'ans, the desecration of Muslim cemeteries and property, gunshots into mosques, women harassed and attacked on the streets, and people attacked and killed simply because they look 'Muslim' & #8230;these types of incidents are increasing, not increasing, as time passes.
(Rashid, 2011, p. 755).
Not everyone would agree with Rashid and others who share his view that the incidences of racially motivated attacks and discrimination are increasing, or at least not entirely as a result of 9/11. People who were adults living in the post-war America will remember the crushing conflict and bigotry that proceeded the Civil Rights movement in the U.S.A. Racial prejudice was epic during the 1950s and the 1960s as social justice and civil rights came to the forefront of the nation's ethos. Moreover, it is difficult to make precise attribution on social issues of such enormity, particularly when the economic times have been characterized by very high volatility during the same period. The racialism of minorities that lays dormant in the U.S.A. In the best of times, finds expression when economic situations grow increasingly intolerable for all citizens. A worsening economy results in increased pressure on all minorities as people cast about looking for someone to blame for their fiscal difficulties and all the associated complexities...
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