Comments | joyful_molly: WTF: If you're an African-American with a Muslim name, clearly you must be a terrorist...

joyful_molly

WTF: If you're an African-American with a Muslim name, clearly you must be a terrorist...

Jun 15, 2011 10:53

Ahmad Jamal is a gifted and very famous American jazz pianist. Miles Davis called him "a big inspiration". He's lined up to perform at the Festival da Jazz in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on 16th July.

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racism, music, rants, politics, one of those issues, wtf

Comments 15

rsharpe June 15 2011, 12:06:45 UTC

Mornin',

I love your journal and have followed it for some time. It's about 8:00 a.m. where I am in the U.S. and I know I'm not at my best after sleeping quite poorly, last night, but . . . please, remember those of us who watched the terrorists' actions on our televisions live knowing that some of our friends were either just crushed by the explosions or were burned alive in the towers. We have a very different point of view. I'm not advocating that the actions above, but I'm sure the person who made the decision to freeze the assets of Mr. Jamal knows nothing about him except his name. He or she was following the rules of the organization. I love jazz, and I have to admit that I've never heard of Mr. Jamal either.

Thank you for letting me state my opinion. From what I know about you, you won't be offended.

joyful_molly June 15 2011, 13:09:31 UTC

I'm not offended at all, and I do understand where you come from. (This is an issue I usually keep faaaaaaar away from, but as this incident involved my former field of work, I made an exception).

To me, the USA look like they are in the grip of fear. I'm firmly with Benjamin Franklin there - people willing to trade their freedom for temporary security deserve neither and will lose both. And there seems to be this atmosphere of distrust against some citizens, simply based on their ethnicity or religion. I can't help it, I find that very, very scary. If you look at European history, you'll certainly understand why.

In the case of Mr. Jamal, we have "OK, bit of an overreaction, but hey, better safe than sorry" versus "wtf?", and I don't think there will ever be an agreement who is "right". Maybe we're both wrong. It happens.

I'm not advocating that the actions above, but I'm sure the person who made the decision to freeze the assets of Mr. Jamal knows nothing about him except his name.The money was clearly declared as coming from ( ... )

rsharpe June 15 2011, 14:34:38 UTC

Just noticed that you'd posted, but have an appointment and must go. I'll post again when I'm back and a little/a lot more awake. Thank you for allowing me to discuss this in a civilized manner. It's refreshing to converse with an adult!!!

weepingnaiad June 15 2011, 16:23:02 UTC

Actions like this neither make us safer in this country nor promote anything positive in any way shape or form.

I hate mindless bigotry and that is exactly what this is, disguised as 'security'.

We lose ten times as many people to car crashes in this country as died on 09/11, yet people are not terrified of cars or driving. All of these knee jerk actions are simply done to give the appearance of keeping us safe while actually promoting an agenda of taking away the basic tenants of our democracy.

If the powers in this country were interested in keeping us safe, they'd do away with 90% of our military budget and foreign occupied territories and then actually start educating our people and making inroads into bettering lives, not simply bombing countries we do not agree with.

Sorry for ranting at your journal, but I live among too many who favor these kinds of actions and think they're justified in some possible way.

joyful_molly June 16 2011, 07:41:06 UTC

He was targeted because of his "muslim name"; none of the other artists had their money frozen. From my point of view, that's racial profiling. Which is seriously scary.

We lose ten times as many people to car crashes in this country as died on 09/11, yet people are not terrified of cars or driving.

*ponders*

I think it's the horror of being attacked in your own home. Everybody knows cars can kill, we got used to that, but people feel safe in their own house (or country). Here on the continent, we have lived for decades with terrorist groups and their atrocities. IRA, ETA, RAF etc. Getting stuck on the tube because there had been a warning for a bomb was scary, but it wasn't unexpected, you know? 9/11 was completely unexpected, and it took away the feeling of being safe in your own country.

Sorry for ranting at your journalNaw, that's ok. One of the things I like most about LJ is that I can learn what people from all over the world think, how they live, how they see things. It's important to me. I don't have the perfect ( ... )

weepingnaiad June 16 2011, 14:59:39 UTC

And people give up too much of their freedom to feel safe again, without actually getting the safety they hope for

That makes so much sense. We're taking dramatic steps backward and are no safer than we were before the attack. I understand fear, but allowing it to define our lives means that the terrorists have won.

We had the opportunity to change the world after 9/11. To talk about the culture and the entrenched issues that plague the Middle-east. Instead we waged war on an uninvolved country and squandered the chance to affect positive influence.

*sigh*

aletheiafelinea June 15 2011, 18:45:51 UTC

So that's how an ballistic pidgeon looks like...

why not just build a huge wall around the USA, don't let anybody in or out of the country and enjoy eternal safety and peace? It worked so well in the past...
And what a possibilites for street art!

More seriously, I can understand the caution, but personally I wouldn't feel more safe there. If a Muslim name = a terrorist, then a non Muslim name = a nice guy? By default, I suppose? OMG...

joyful_molly June 16 2011, 07:28:49 UTC

There are millions of US citizens who are Muslims. It's terrible that they are seen as "potential terrorists" just because of their faith. Not to downplay religious motivated terrorism here; it's a real and serious danger, and it's important to fight it. But what has happened here is nothing but racial profiling, and that's very ugly.

The criminals responsible for 9/11 were from Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Saudi Arabia is one of the worst offenders when it comes to human rights, yet hailed as an important ally. Bin Laden was from an important Saudi family, for crying out loud. How can it be ok to be good friends with such a regime and treat your own citizens like potential terrorist just because of their faith?

While I understand the fears, I don't think giving in to them is the right way to go. No terrorist will make me give up flying or travelling or doing anything I want to do, because then they'd win.

aletheiafelinea June 16 2011, 20:40:26 UTC

what has happened here is nothing but racial profiling, and that's very ugly.
And simply stupid, ugliness aside. If that's how the prevention and defence of country looks, then I'm afraid real terrorists will have embarrassingly easy task. Just like with that 'yes' box, in the comment below... You know, sometimes the world is... funny. In a really scary way. Sometimes I think foolishness is even more scary human feature than cruelty.

There was a graffiti on a wall near to my home, saying 'People, think! It doesn't hurt!'. A few years ago, the building was renovated and the words painted over. Pity, I liked it. :)

classics_lover June 15 2011, 21:55:18 UTC

I just remember a friend of mine telling me about a friend of hers who ticked the "yes" box on the "Are you now or have you ever been a member of a terrorist organization" for a joke, and is still banned from travelling to America. True story.

There's always crap like that somewhere.

I remember an Irish comedian joking that after September 11th people learned to appreciate the IRA because they telephones ahead to let them know there'd be an attack forthcoming. Lol not.

You would think, wouldn't you, that they might Google potential terrorists before making a move against them. They might learn a bit more.

joyful_molly June 16 2011, 07:22:21 UTC

is still banned from travelling to America. True story.

She's not the only one! I don't really understand the point of that question; I don't think any terrorist would tick the yes box, unless it's a really stupid terrorist (I won't rule out they exist, but...)

Argh, the IRA. The pox on their heads. We had friends from NI while living in London (back in the days when dinosaurs still roamed Trafalgar Square), and we were regularly dragged into a pub where, just before the closing bell rang, a "volountary collection for the brothers back home" was made. Very strange experience!

We also had some very bizarre run-ins with "anti-Irish" (in lack of a better word) sentiments. Miss C. looks like the clichee poster girl for Irish holidays. Red hair, freckles, everything. We were looking for a B + B, and this woman who ran the place glared at her and said that she doesn't let rooms to the Irish. WTF?! We told her that no, we're not Irish, but Swiss, and we'd rather sleep under a bridge than under the roof of an ignoramus doofus (I think the ( ... )