America+Middle Eastern=Racism?

[fakeitormakeit]

As a side note I wouldn't talk Arabic at school. I think it is kinda rude to speak another language around people if you have the choice to speak in their language. I find it very distracting.

 

 

 

Its not like I speak it on the bus, its either before school on the bus, after school on the bus, waiting outside when everyone else is talking. I never try to speak it in front of someone, because thats just a jerkish move, rather we use it to speak faster and something you can't translate literally so it has to be said in arabic so the meaning isnt diluted. Sorry, just wanted to state that so you don't think in the middle of class I start barking my arabic :lol:

 

 

 

And yes, American teaching of history is garbage, you do an incomplete World History for like a year and you do American History for like 12(exaggerating). I use to hate history because of the way the school taught it, then in 6th grade my teacher, and long time family friend, showed me the light of International History. And I honestly think we need to teach more current events, like the Christian treatment inn Lebanon.

 

 

 

 

 

O and I like what Barihawk says:

 

 

 

The children calling you names for being of another race are complete idiots. From my observations as a teacher, I've noticed that it's become popular in the 8th and 9th grades (US, when a student goes from Primary to Secondary school) that racism is becoming a "cool" trend, but really only against Hispanics and Middle Eastern students. Most of the Hispanic kids take it in stride, because they have a well-established community here and are very proud of their culture.

 

 

 

But what I have noticed of Middle Eastern students is that they wish to fit in, and are scared of being labeled such things as "terrorists" and the like. Therefore, when someone jokingly calls them that, they freak. And because they are giving in to the teasing, more teasing follows.

 

 

 

The war in Iraq is not about racism. I support the war fully, and I have numerous friends of Middle Eastern origin, most of which are Islamic. I fully support their customs, am not offended when they pray, etc. When 9/11 hit, we baked our Islamic neighbor some food (yes, it adhered to the food laws) because he had mentioned that he was afraid to go to the store.

 

 

 

The problem is that some idiots out there are firmly attached to xenophobia.

 

 

 

And to some replies:

 

 

 

-WookieeMania: The word you are looking for is Containment. It was our policy to deal with Communism and it's what we are using now against Terrorism.

 

 

 

-Darkmage: By subscribing to the "stereotypical terrorist" are you not yourself being biased? I've seen many men with turbans and beards and didn't really worry about it.

 

 

 

Ginger and BlueLancer: The IRA is indeed Catholic, with the PIRA and the ULA being the major Protestant groups. This subject is a little bitter to me, as a Catholic friend of mine in Ireland was killed by an IRA carbomb (in essence, a Catholic killed by Catholics). It really saddens me to see my home Island in such strife.

 

 

 

Ambassador: Being a history teacher, would you mind explaining why my teaching is garbage? Teachers are forced to teach a curriculum (even before No Child Left...). Sometimes we have to skip a lot of things. Treatment of Christians in Rome is a little more important to history than it is in Lebanon.

 

 

 

Althalus: It's pretty ridiculous to do a lot of things. Like I stated earlier, kids like to be racist for some reason. Of course, kids at that age will do absolutely anything for a laugh. After all, if Dave Chappell or that Mencia guy can be purely racist and get laughs, why can't they?

 

 

 

BlueLancer: Every religion (and anti-religion) has it's extremists. And about the IRA vs PIRA: because news companies get more revenue talking about white people being killed by non-white people than they do white people killing white people. Watch your evening news. Most murders according to the news happen between mixed races, right? Even though you know white people can and do kill eachother? Same principle.

 

 

 

And I am too lazy to continue. But yeah, the kids making fun of you are dolts, etc.

[venomai]

I don't think it would be a problem if it wasn't for America's war propaganda and the media coverage of 9/11.

 

Now everyone's caught up thinking all Muslims and Middle Easterns are terrorists. :?

 

 

 

Darkmage: By subscribing to the "stereotypical terrorist" are you not yourself being biased? I've seen many men with turbans and beards and didn't really worry about it.

 

No, he's not being racist. The "stereotypical terrorist" is something that has been defined by the media, and he is simply saying that he doesn't know any Muslims that look like one. (Rightfully so, as most Muslims do not)

 

 

 

On one plane ride I sat next to a Muslim man who, unfortunately, fit the stereotype very well. He wore the traditional robes and a turban, he didn't speak English, he had no luggage, and he was reciting Arabic prayers the entire flight. I'll admit I felt uneasy, even though I had no reason to believe he was any more of a terrorist than the fat white male a seat up.

 

The power of the American media is scary. :ohnoes:

[Lionheart_0]

As a side note I wouldn't talk Arabic at school. I think it is kinda rude to speak another language around people if you have the choice to speak in their language. I find it very distracting.

 

 

 

:? I tend to disagree with this. A language is part of one's heritage, and should still be practiced, even in public. Although it is slightly rude to use it if you are having a conversation with multiple people and don't want someone to know what you are saying, I think speaking a different language should fall under freedom of speech.

[wildernessfreelancer]

Calling all 1.4 billion muslims in the world (or anyone who isn't muslim, but happens to look middle-eastern) a terrorist just because a few hundred fanatics blow up facilities, is a racist generalization which needs to get rid of.

 

 

 

Can't agree with you more. =D>

 

 

 

"These people are not true muslims. They misinterpret the Qu'ran to their own liking, give the wrong impression of the Qu'ran to the world and then make out that they are defending their religion. They are not defending their religion they are only bringing blasphemy upon it and are a shame to what Islam truly stands for."

 

 

 

That's something like I would have said, only you've said it better. :)

[fakeitormakeit]

As a side note I wouldn't talk Arabic at school. I think it is kinda rude to speak another language around people if you have the choice to speak in their language. I find it very distracting.

 

 

 

:? I tend to disagree with this. A language is part of one's heritage, and should still be practiced, even in public. Although it is slightly rude to use it if you are having a conversation with multiple people and don't want someone to know what you are saying, I think speaking a different language should fall under freedom of speech.

 

 

 

Actually, I would never talk arabic infront of someone who doesn't know it unless I was setting them up for a joke and then I was gonna tell them, but say me and my friends are talkin then my Iranian friend starts talking arabic with me infront of them, thats really rude because how would they know I'm not cursing them out?

[Spirrus]

I myself am Iranian and have had to deal with racism in the past. In my old school some people discovered that I was Iranian and also a Bahai. I was hanging out with my other middle eastern friends and three [developmentally delayed]s suddenly come out of nowhere asking me what a Bahai is. I simply tell them its a religion and they automatically assume I'm some kind of radical muslim extremist cell. They begin calling me stereotypical names such as Ali Baba and Alladin ( :XD: ) and unfortunately, my friends weren't so keen on this and they began to attack those three boys. This only led to more trouble as the other boys' parents began to complain about our kind not having a right to be in that school and our principal even supported them. I got suspended for a week even though I didnt do anything and so did my friends. So yeah, people can be pretty ignorant and racist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the way are there any other Iranians in this forum?

[Lionheart_0]

our principal even supported them.

 

 

 

Thats definitely not right. If that happens, get your parents to call up the school board. Something in your favour WILL happen.

[thargor01]

ok first, I haven't read anything but the first post so if I'm repeating anything sorry.

 

 

 

and yes America is racist, but only in small pockets, it's exspecially true in children, heck I'm only 18, I'm a republican and I believe we should've been in Iraq ("should've" cause we should be out of there by now...) and I'm in no way racist, but I'm also a junior in college and I see the racism all around me. (I'm a caucasin (spl) redneck) all you can do is have faith and try to explain. as long as they don't get violent then there's nothing you can do, other than pray, passiveness (spl) may be the hardest thing to do, but in silence you speak volumes. I'm also a Christian, just stick to the faith brother. you have an entire religion that will always be there for you.

[mrpez]

If I go into an airport and say "Today's the day", I'm likely to be arrested.

 

 

 

Its strange, I always seem to get selected for those random screenings.

[RichieMcD]

One of the main problems is the media. Every day worldwide on TV i hear ''iraqi insurgents (sp?) killed 13 american soldiers today in the city of fuluja in south east iraq the attack left over 12 other soldiers wounded'' yet they dont hear how many iraqi civilians or insurgents got killed by american soldiers.

 

 

 

So the next day they go to school thinking ''those dam iraqi bast**ds killed more of our men''.

 

 

 

Another problem is that it seems that the americans only look from thier point of view such as 9/11 had nothing to do with their world police attitude and they were totally innocent. I have a few americans and a few islamic people in my school and i much prefer the islamic people. they dont seem to be close minded and blameful of everyone else accept themselves which the americans in my school seem to be. I just think its in the americans general attitude against islamic people.

 

 

 

P.S im sorry if ive caused offence to any american person who read this but from what ive encountered, seen and the people ive met this seems to be what gos on.

[Spirrus]

If I go into an airport and say "Today's the day", I'm likely to be arrested.

 

 

 

Its strange, I always seem to get selected for those random screenings.

 

 

 

Unfortunately many security workers in airports actually do those sort of things based on prejudice.

[RichieMcD]

If I go into an airport and say "Today's the day", I'm likely to be arrested.

 

 

 

Its strange, I always seem to get selected for those random screenings.

 

 

 

Unfortunately many security workers in airports actually do those sort of things based on prejudice.

 

 

 

Ive seen that happen alot. It once even happened where i got onto a plane where most of the middle eastern looking passangers had been frisked while all the white passangers got on freely.... then a white guy pulled out a knife (not in a threatning way) and proceded to play around with it.

 

 

 

If that had been a hijacker or terrorist we would have been f**ked :ohnoes:

[RichieMcD]

No offense but thats one of the presumptions I'm talking about, it isn't racism but its generalization, just because I say Middle Eastern, that doesn't mean I'm talking about Islam. Its not always the big things that are the worst, its sometimes those little thing like categorizing all the Middle Eastern people under Islam(I think Lebanon is 6/4 christian/muslim ratio, might have been equalled, Idr).

 

 

 

Wherever you go you will get generalization from people due to your lebanon roots.

 

 

 

Im irish and whenever i go abroad people assume im a heavy catholic and a alcoholic. They also assume i live on a farm and that we just got color TV's and that kind of crap.

 

 

 

No matter where you go you will be stereotyped due to your Lebanon roots like how im stereotyped for my irish roots.

[bonzeben23]

some girl at my school told the class to "watch out as Ben, (an arabic kid at my school) had a bomb strapped to himself and was going to blow it up and kill everyone just like his dad." what was really fun was the kid's dad is a world famous surgeon and speaks like 3 languages. Along with the fact that he convinced Congressman Pete Hookstra to go to Iran and Syria.

 

 

 

The kid's parents were called later that week and the girl got another 2 day suspension weeks after she got one for making racist jokes to me.

[Unoalexi]

MANY people are racist towards Middle Easterners in America.. Especially in the South...(not trying to be stereotypical here!)

 

 

 

In America, it is generally accepted that Middle Easterner=Muslim=Terrorist. Now, I'm not a Middle easterner myself, but I see the prejudice all around me, and it's absolutely disgusting.

 

 

 

For example, I attend a Southern High school. For civics class, the students had to make posters about the various candidates telling about their platforms, policies, ect. The Barrack Obama Poster was vandalized, spit on, and torn down because he was allegedly a Muslim. Furthermore, I was talking about the event with a few of my classmates, and they said that they wouldn't vote for a Muslim or event a Middle Eastern President because "Iraq's were terrorists"... :wall:

[fakeitormakeit]

I think some people need to be educated about the eastern world, some stupid people think that if your from the middle east you speak arabian, you have to be muslim and the only countries there are Iraq and Afghanistan.

[adam_ross0]

Y'know, I could really care less about the color of someone's skin, what race they are, where they're from, or whatever. If they act with some decency then they're fine with me. Also note that I live in the middle of nowhere in the US...where everybody believes that every muslim has a bomb hidden somewhere. It's kinda sad, really.

[Led-Zeppelin]

I'm sure people catorgorise you as Muslim because of your appearance. If I were to become Muslim, no one would ever guess it because I am white.

[RichieMcD]

I'm sure people catorgorise you as Muslim because of your appearance. If I were to become Muslim, no one would ever guess it because I am white.

 

 

 

People will always catorgarised due to someones skin color... white people are associated with Christianity.... brown people are associated with islam.... yellow people are associated with Buddhism / other asian relgions.

 

 

 

People will always be associated with something due to their color of skin or what country their from.

 

 

 

Im irish... whenever im abroad people assume im a heavy catholic and a heavy drinker.... not true at all

 

 

 

The writer of this topic is from lebanon.... people assume he is a muslim and has some sort of bomb just because he is from the middle east.

 

 

 

Basiclay if people assume something ignore them..... it is usually done by close minded uneducated people who dont know the cultures of the world and what they have to offer.

 

 

 

I live in ireland and we now have alot of middle eastern people living here... Pakistanis .... Afghanis... Iranians. Everyone of them i have met i find are incredibly nice people who offer alot to this world and it seems the people who are racist towards them seem to be from the working class. This is definitly the case in ireland where many of the middle eastern people run successful shops or have jobs which require alot of training.

 

 

 

So can i just ask the writer of this topic.... were the people who said such remarks to you stupid or from the working class?

[Barihawk]

MANY people are racist towards Middle Easterners in America.. Especially in the South...(not trying to be stereotypical here!)

 

 

 

In America, it is generally accepted that Middle Easterner=Muslim=Terrorist. Now, I'm not a Middle easterner myself, but I see the prejudice all around me, and it's absolutely disgusting.

 

 

 

For example, I attend a Southern High school. For civics class, the students had to make posters about the various candidates telling about their platforms, policies, ect. The Barrack Obama Poster was vandalized, spit on, and torn down because he was allegedly a Muslim. Furthermore, I was talking about the event with a few of my classmates, and they said that they wouldn't vote for a Muslim or event a Middle Eastern President because "Iraq's were terrorists"... :wall:

 

 

 

Not to wet on your coals, but the South is actually much more friendly than the North. Fun facts:

 

 

 

The South contains 73% of all U.S. Mosques, and the North boasts 83% of all vandalisms of Mosques in the US since 2001

 

 

 

78% of all KKK Chapters are based in the North

 

 

 

There is more crime towards minorities in the North than in the South, but the South gets more press for the fewer events

 

 

 

More attacks against Middle Eastern Americans occur in Northern states than in Southern states...

 

 

 

...I could go on, and delve into racism as a whole, but the South really gets a bad rap for racism where it's not due.

[Defender2516]

Hi everyone, not to annoy you but I have something I wanted to talk with you all about.

 

 

 

Well, I started high school this year, and so I come in contact with alot more people then I did when I went to a grammar school with an 8th grade with 42 people. I've made alot of friends, and after you get to know someone, you know, you randomly talk about stuff and sometimes that thing is race/religion. When ever I say I'm Lebanese people always jump to conclusions that I'm a Muslim, a terrorist, or God knows what else. I've gotten alot of insults due to just being Middle Eastern. When I was once telling a story to my old friends from grammar school about how my great great grandpa was a techinal lord of Lebanon (I'm maronite and so was he) and his struggles in his time with the ottomans and muslims someone who was listening goes "who cares, your a bunch of dum rapheads anyway". I have several other arab christian friends who notice arab racism in American, they are Egyptian, Iranian, and Syrian and as soon as you mention your country your asking for an insult.

 

 

 

Edit: Also, when I talk with my Egyptian friend in arabic or try writing something in arabic, people think we're talking evily and they freak out.

 

 

 

Has anyone else noticed this? Is this a mix of ignorance plus fear and hatred of 9/11? Or has this blindness always existed in America, or does it not exist all together?

 

 

 

 

 

Edit2: Off topic, I know, but in my opinion I think America shouldn't be in Iraq, rather they should be funding the Lebanese christians agaisnt the bombardment of "God's Army".

 

Edit3: Omg I also hate if how I'm speaking Arabic with my friend(s) and I say Alah which means God, as in the same God thats in Judasim, Islam and Christianity, they assume I'm muslim and they think I'm being a terrorist, I can say something like Alah Owagbar which means like God is the greatest if something falls into my favor, and someone will think I'm going to attack someone, really sad actually lol.

 

Edit4: Idk if this is just coincidental, but my Spainard friend is always fighting with my Armenian/Iraqie friend.

 

 

 

The key word is "America".

 

 

 

Really.. their all just a bunch of fat pigs with no brains at all.. getting their beliefs changed by TV and Youtube.

 

 

 

No edumication wut so ever :notalk:

 

 

 

Sucks i live here..

[Lord_Omar_Iv]

you just got to remember this kid, and ive learned this from observing myself.

 

 

 

 

 

those people who stereotype others when it comes to heritage and especially by what the media says are downright scared, insecure, weak-minded, and weak-hearted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so what im telling u is, keep standing tall and dont fall into their sh*t because you are already a step ahead of them

[fakeitormakeit]

I hate when people try and say they aren't X race or cover up their accent, that is who it is, and I'm damn proud to be Lebanese.

[fakeitormakeit]

 

 

 

No ones posted in awhile so I'll post a pic of my great great grandfather; a grand judge of Lebanon est lifetime(1836-1926:1938), (photo taken sometime around 1878-1886)

 

 

 

O ya, he really looks like your sterotypical "terrorist" middle eastern

[Will H]

I agree that this kind of racial generalisation shouldn't occur. However, I don't like the idea of messages such as 'Not all muslims are terrorists!' being pushed in my face even if I outwardly explain that I never thought that in the first place. Frankly, it's racially stereotypical to think that all white people think that all Middle Easterns are muslims and terrorists and are inherently racist.