(or have an middle eastern name) ... don't ...
1. question the clerk - on Tuesday I went to post a flash drive to the UK but I was not allowed to, in case it had "sensitive" material. People in front of me were sending sealed boxes but I was stopped on my tracks. The postal clerk said, "how do we know you are not sending dangerous documents in this thing?" I told him him to check for the content of the disk (which was all in English) and also asked to see the documentation of items that can be shipped. He said to me, "don't you people know we are on terror alert? We have to protect our citizens."
Imagine the headline if I had lost my temper: "foiled: woman with degree in chemical engineering caught in major computer terrorism US-UK ring"
2. carry or buy more than one cell phone - oops I guess I have to cut down on efficieny between my Palm Treo for business and the Sony Ericsson camera phone for pleasure
3. photograph bridges, buildings, beaches, buses, basics ... best not to take photographs of anything because anything could be a terror target ...
4. travel ...or go on vacation ... in fact don't leave home if you are brown
5. have any documents in Arabic - they look "dangerous"
6. mention peaceful words like 'insh'allah' or 'salaam walaaikum' - they sound "dangerous"
7. air your opinions about the Arab-Israeli war, as humanitarian and unbiased as they may be
8. ask for a glass of water or any liquid on a plane - what? you are flying? no - remember - stay at home
9. lighten your hair in an attempt to blend in - you still look brown, dear - but do try a British accent, it distracts people from the browness
10. sun tan in the hopes of becoming darker - that opens up another barrage of problems
11. think your rich personal cultures of thousands of years matter - what culture? you are brown and thus a possible terrorist and that's that
12. stand around in groups talking in non-English - you may make others uncomfortable (because hindi/ bengali/ arabic/ urdu are all the same and "dangerous")
13. get degrees in chemical engineering or computer science (oh, why did I not pursue my childhood dream of becoming a superstar?)
14. wear an hermes scarf of a particular print and be mistaken for you know who
15. wear long coats - even in winter - freeze rather than be mistaken for a you know what
16. change your currently 'brown" surname of Ahamed/Ali/ Azim etc. to Brown (come on now, that's just silly ;-))
17. recite the Koran on the NYC subways - look, just because that guy in white recites the Bible and damns you to hell while you are trying to catch your morning nap on the train, does not mean you too will receive the same indifferent sleepy reaction from the passengers on reciting Sura Al-Fatiha
(18-20 contributed by Maliha)
18. Dare to have an opinion contrary to the official version of Truth from the FOX NEWS table
19. Express your opinion in a public place; like a rally: (the last time we went people yelled "if you don't like it here: GO HOME!"; we ARE at home idiots; and protesting/dissent is as American as you can get.)
20. Walk around in a Hijab/Scarf for a woman/ bearded for a man (worse still is being a couple) and daring to display your Muslim-ness in public.
these apply heavily to male browns - while female browns can sometimes counteract the impact of being brown by being pretty, smiling and appearing docile and simple
Movie Recommendation: "An Inconvenient Truth" - Al Gore presents scientific research articulately using effective graphics. I am inspired to do my part (even as inconveniently brown as I am)
Music Recommendation:
"My Universe": Minerve - the music takes me on - in my car, office, ipod, laptop, my universe
"Ae Mere Humsafar": Alka Yagnik & Udit Narayan - popular Indian anthem of some of the brown people from the movie "Qayamat se Qayamat Tak", takes my breath away (English Translation)
Best Regards,
Nazli (Brownyn for the day)
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32 comments:
it's blogeuphoria when i see your name. yes. I don't know about the British accent these days. Spanish might be better? People seem to recognize Spanish. Then you are an 'alien' instead of a 'terrorist'!
I hear lots of talk about 'racial profiling' these days. People say, "well if it will stop one bad thing from happening" ... remember that while the Nazis were rounding up Jews and Gypsies, the Americans were rounding up Japanese and deporting Mexicans, and it did not "stop bad things from happening", it WAS itself a bad thing that was happening. It's worrisome that we seem to be going there again.
"...sun tan in the hopes of becoming darker - that opens up another barrage of problems"
That one really cracked me up, I had to laugh so hard!
I protest this and I will now become a brown person myself (or do so in solidarity).
Meet me at the beach!
P.S. Yes times are stupidly weary - my personal stupid alert is on deep orange ...
Tom - blogeuphoria seeing you! ;-) Love it!
I see what you are saying about the Spanish accent but you know with the border terrorism and their brown colour it's still trouble. So how about a "southern" accent, ya know whaimsayin' ya'all?
I am practical enough to understand the profiling criteria but the problem here is that "brown" people make up much of the world and penning them in one corner is not the answer. It is a problem now but will be a bigger problem when the browns rebel against this ... "what can brown do for you today?"
always a blogeuphoria!
Nazli
The description of the state of alertness in your post is comic and pathetic yet absolutely outrageous.
What can be done? Let's all head for the beach - I'll meet you there.
Zee, I am so glad you got my sense of humor!
Talking of songs and such, I am reminded of a song I once heard: "brown girl in the rain, sha la la la, there's a brown girl in the rain ..." Have you heard it?
On my way to the beach for the protest! Glad to have you join the "browns"!
All intellegencia welcome to join the club
Brownly
Nazli
Caco - my friend - you will make all the difference - see you at the beach for the protest!
Yes - the "state of altertness" is real and I was thinking that at least I had the means and the abilty to express it. There are people (of other colours too) who suffer in silence and my heart pains for them.
Caco, I am glad you also appreciate the humour and irony ;-) I felt very hurt on Tuesday at the implications but I can laugh about it now
I will bring the placards, could you please bring the pens and we will be right and ready for the beach protest! :-)
Ciao Caco
Doc
I am very sorry that it has come to this. Not much else to say.
Paul - enough said!
Hope you are well :-)
And as for those tall people - mmmmh - just another advantage to being a girl and having heels
:-)
Nazli
what can I say:)
Its a terrible state of affairs. I think possibly worse in America down to the vast levels of stupidity present in a lot of the populations DNA.
I think its better over here, although I'm probably not on the receiving end of it.
Reading this makes me terribly sad. I know it happens every day but first hand accounts from someone I respect cut deeply (it should be no different to hear it about strangers I know but I'm only human).
The fact that you and others can deal with this rubbish with confidence and fortitude gives me hope. I keep hoping this is just a phase and sanity will be restored but then it seems people get worse. *sigh*
Oh, and for anyone who thinks profiling is a "necessary evil" the following link might provide some food for thought: http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/06/patrick_smith_o.html
Candancimmm, my sister - feel free to laugh at the scarcasm & irony ;-) it makes me laugh
Beth & Mr Angry - Many Thanks of-course for your support; I was caught unaware this time since it was so unexpected and surprising but the next time I will ask dirctly, "is it because I am beautiful that you are being so racist?" :-)
I hope you are laughing with me.
... still decidng on items 18-20 ...
Mr Angry is referring to this particular item on the link he posted (thank you):
Patrick Smith on Airline Security (half way down)
* In 1985, Air India Flight 182 was blown up over the Atlantic by:
a. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
b. Bill O'Reilly
c. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
d. Indian Sikh extremists, in retaliation for the Indian Army's attack on the Golden Temple shrine in Amritsar
* In 1986, who attempted to smuggle three pounds of explosives onto an El Al jetliner bound from London to Tel Aviv?
a. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
b. Michael Smerconish
c. Bob Mould
d. A pregnant Irishwoman named Anne Murphy
* In 1962, in the first-ever successful sabotage of a commercial jet, a Continental Airlines 707 was blown up with dynamite over Missouri by:
a. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
b. Ann Coulter
c. Henry Rollins
d. Thomas Doty, a 34-year-old American passenger, as part of an insurance scam
* In 1994, who nearly succeeding in skyjacking a DC-10 and crashing it into the Federal Express Corp. headquarters?
a. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
b. Michelle Malkin
c. Charlie Rose
d. Auburn Calloway, an off-duty FedEx employee and resident of Memphis, Tenn.
* In 1974, who stormed a Delta Air Lines DC-9 at Baltimore-Washington Airport, intending to crash it into the White House, and shot both pilots?
a. Muslim male extremists mostly between the ages of 17 and 40
b. Joe Scarborough
c. Spalding Gray
d. Samuel Byck, an unemployed tire salesman from Philadelphia
The answer, in all cases, is D.
Racial profiling doesn't work against terrorism, because terrorists don't fit any racial profile.
Patrick Smith writes the "Ask the Pilot" column for Salon. He's written two very good posts on airline security, one about how Israel's system won't work in the U.S., and the other about profiling:
http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2006/06/09/askthepilot189/index_np.html
http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2006/06/16/askthepilot190/index_np.html
Yes, that little quiz is circulating, but it's very easy to make up different ones. who blew up the federal building in oklahoma city who actually used nuclear weapons, etc ...(white american christian males)
Salamaat,
So much love for the brown folks over here:)
here are some more:
18) Dare to have an opinion contrary to the official version of Truth from the FOX NEWS table (or CNN- same spins; same crap).
19) Express your opinion in a public place; like a rally: (the last time we went people yelled "if you don't like it here: GO HOME!"; we ARE at home idiots; and protesting/dissent is as American as you can get.
20) Walk around in a Hijab/Scarf for a woman/ bearded for a man (worse still is being a couple) and daring to display your Muslim-ness in public.
PS: Thanks for adding me on your blogroll:) I have this bad habit of just adding blogs i like, without asking for permission:)
Tom, my friend - exactly! If I were to stand next to Tim McVeigh, it is I who would appear suspicious.
Much of the world is brown and there is no winning an anti-brown battle.
Somehow I feel lighter, having shared the unpleasant postal experience - I am just waiting for the next time - because you I'll be ready with a response :-)
thanks
Nazli
Maliha - Salamaat. So excited to find you on my blog because I have been reading your work in awe for a while now and it was really my pleasure to have you on the 'fearless blog'.
I am going to include your points 18-20 on the main blog - they are great - and oh so frustratingly true. Thank you! Just the mention of Foxnews raises my blood pressure which is generally very steady.
Normally I would not dream of using the term "brown" to describe such a richly diverse groups of people - but I am so glad everyone sees that I use it in absolute irony :-)
Nazli
Doc, dear.
No sooner said than done: pens are ready. It seems that the beach will be absolutely crowded provided all our fearless friends show up.
Nazli dear ... where are your Sunday Sunderings (or thunderings)...?
Miss you,
Zee ya.
powerful. wow!
And yet here, in Hadhramout, we don't have such xenophobia! Those who 'look' or 'are' different from us - be they from the East or the West, are given much respect and consideration. But, do most Americans or Westerners, really know this? They think - we hate them just as much as they hate us!
Omar - so it is up to us to change the perception to the western world in our own way - one by one. We can reach out with warmest wishes and sparkling smiles to anyone, anywhere, anytime, anyplace ...
If people don;t see beyond their limits, it is their limitation, not ours.
Thank you for your comment. I have to also say, that it is the first time in my 13 years in America that I have faced direct racims as an individual - so in fact, in my mind the warmest people I have ever met are actually here in America, Americans, Westerners. There are many many wonderful, Americas - just like wonderful Yemenis. I hope you come across these Westerners, as I do everyday.
Most do not hate "us", Omar - you must believe. Look at the comments of support on this blog - look at how many westerners are so warm. My friend Kelly is an American, she was ready to beat up that postal wroker for me ;-) you see?
The media is very much to blame for the perception of some.
peace and good wishes be upon you
Nazli
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Thank you for the lyrics to Ae Mere Humsafar i had been looking for it translated for years...
much appreciated.....hope things in zim are gettn better, have friends there and they tell me daily its so bad...
Saahier Parker
Cape Town
South Africa
oh should you have more lyrics to QSQT, please email them to me at
SPARKER@HSRC.AC.ZA
Saahier parker
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