Week 3: CheckPoint - Post-9/11 Prejudice
According to Payne in Making Enemies
she contends that throughout the United States there has been increased
prejudice against Muslims and Arabs after 9/11. She also contends
that this was exacerbated by the United States government's actions,
and response, to these people in response to the terrorist
attacks. More then just effectively condoning this type of
behavior it also served to encourage discrimination as an act of
patriotism.
The strong negative emotional aspect tied to Muslims
and Arabs after 9/11 would entice a greater incidence of hate crimes
against these groups. This would only be aggravated, as Payne
suggested, by those who were more patriotic; as treating Muslims and
Arabs would be perceived as supporting the United States.
Furthermore, the affective prejudice made the Arabs and Muslims seem
like lesser Americans, or not American at all, and thus not entitled to
the treatment that others deserve.
There are a number of things that can be done to
promote tolerance within local cities. A good portion of the
danger is caused by ignorance of Islam and Arab culture. This
could be mitigated by having a Muslim talk about both culture and
religion to groups of people in places such as at churches, schools,
and other large group gatherings. Secondarily, local news outlets
should be encouraged to do stories that positively report on Islam and
Arab culture to reach an even broader audience. Finally, those
that are not prejudiced should encourage multi-cultural gatherings, and
personally participate in these events and organizations.
© Erik Smith 2005
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