Ane Balkchyan
Mrs. Hartos
English Ten Honors
5 April, 2014
The Mistreatment of Muslims after September 11, 2001
One cannot argue the fact that the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 scarred the history of the United States. Not only did the events on that Tuesday morning shed light on national security issues, it also served as a wake up call to the citizens of the United States to show just how vulnerable they were to a terrorist attack. In reaction to the actions of the terrorist group responsible, Al-Qaeda, Americans did everything possible to improve defense and decrease the chances of anything similar to 9/11 ever happening again. At the same time, however, Americans also began to think differently of all Muslims despite the fact that only a select few of them were responsible for the terrorist attacks. Because of the actions of Al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001, Americans have developed an unnatural fear of Muslims that has led to the mistreatment of them; especially in schools and campuses, mosques, and at airports.
The first way Americans have developed an unnatural fear of Muslims that has led to mistreatment of them is through the schooling system. In public schools across the country, Muslims have been misjudged based on the assumptions of others. For example, the wearing of the hijab, a scarf worn by many Muslim women in order to cover the hair, neck, and sometimes face, in schools has caused heavy controversy. One instances where a custom interfered with a school-related function was “In January 2011 when a twelve-year-old attending Smithburg Middle School in Maryland was sent to the bench during a game because she was wearing the hijab” (Eck 1). Not only was the student judged unfairly, she was also punished for...
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...ersary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Several days before the ninth anniversary, many American Muslims and Americans were worried about plans for September 11 of that year. Rumors had been floating around about possible trouble planned to occur. One of the planned events on the anniversary of the attacks was a protest “…against the proposed mosque near ground zero…” (Zoll A3). Likewise, “… the Dove World Outreach Center plans to burn copies of the Quran” (A3). With such violent and racist actions planned, American Muslims working at mosques had no choice but to boost security for the nine-year anniversary of September 11.
Along with public schools, campuses, and mosques, Muslims are also mistreated in airports. Because of the assumption that all Muslims are terrorists, many TSA workers after 9/11 went on high-alert when it came time for full body searches.