1/18/11

I know that we were supposed to choose a photo that we could write a story about, but when we were told to choose a photo that represented 9/11 or the war on terror this one really stood out to me. Also since this is a blog, I decided to write something a little differently than the rest of my classmates (I hope this is okay David). I have recently been thinking about cultural standpoints and I believe that many of us need to understand the common bias put on Muslims, especially after the tragedy pinned down in our country’s history. Born as a Jew, I have personally felt the anguish associated with bias and misconception and I believe that it is important for us to understand how this affected Muslim citizens of our country. This is a photograph of a man with a label taped on the back of his neck. The label says "Islamophobia." Islamophobia is defined as the dread or hatred of Islam and therefore, to the fear and dislike of all Muslims. I believe this is a Muslim man because he seems to be wearing a cap that is worn by men that adhere to Islam. This isn't a photo that is directly taken on 9/11 or the war on terror. This photo was intentionally taken of a Muslim man and the label was deliberately placed on the back of his neck. After the terrorist attack on the Word Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11th, 2001, this man along with many of Allah's followers more than likely had to deal with the misconception of being a terrorist. This misconception is a product of many American's fear of the situation and their desire to blame it on something larger than just a few extremist hijackers. Many Americans have made the biased decision to believe that all Muslims are terrorists. Because of this, many Muslim-Americans have been mistreated in public situations and held accountable for the war our country is in. Not only was our country attacked, but also Islam in America was attacked. I believe this photo represents 9/11 and the war on terror from a Muslim-American's standpoint. Along with the 3,000, were actually a couple dozen Muslim-Americans that were killed in the terrorist attack, including an elderly woman aboard United #175, an unborn child, and a janitor who worked in the Trade Center. It is also true that many of the victim’s family was interrogated based on initial suspicions that their Muslim relatives were not victims, but were actually terrorists involved in the hijackings. This photograph is very symbolic and though it directly shows no connection to the terrorist attacks, its meaning goes deeper than what you see on the surface. It shows a relationship to a part of America that we never consider or even dare empathize with, especially around

-Leah Kouchel