Arab Men: Breaking Us Laws, What's The Punishment?

Since the September 11 attacks, Arab men in America have faced increasing challenges and discrimination in the legal system. Racist stereotypes and prejudice about Arab culture have led to harsher treatment by police, prosecutors, and judges. This includes increased scrutiny at airports and border points, denial of bail, and higher bail amounts compared to non-Arab defendants. The US government's racial profiling practices and immigration laws disproportionately target Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians, with thousands imprisoned without committing any crimes. The Arab-American community faces challenges due to different treatment by authorities, with a perception of discrimination that often goes undocumented.

Arab men are treated more harshly by police and prosecutors due to racist stereotypes

Arab men are often stereotyped as aggressive, angry, cruel, hostile, uncivilized, and unsociable. They are strongly associated with terrorism and religious fanaticism, which contributes to their perception as a threat of ideological rather than physical hostility. This has led to increased scrutiny at airports and border points, with many Arabs being stopped, interrogated, and detained. When Arabs are arrested, judges often deny bail or set it at higher figures than for non-Arab defendants.

The Arab American community feels that its members are treated differently by law enforcement and immigration authorities. There is a great deal of real and perceived discrimination against Arab Americans, which is not always documented. This discrimination extends to other areas of life, such as education and employment, despite federal laws and school policies that are meant to protect against discrimination.

The negative stereotyping of Arab men as intolerant, terrorist, religious, Islamic, and dangerous contributes to this discriminatory treatment. These stereotypes are particularly harmful when intersected with other identities, such as sexual orientation, as gay Arab men are also perceived as closeted, ostracized, and filthy. This leads to a heightened perception of Arab men as a threat, which may result in harsher treatment by authorities.

The US government's racial profiling practices are most vigorous in immigration

One example of this is the "special registration" program instituted by the Department of Justice (DOJ). This program, ostensibly designed to catalog immigrants from all nations, required certain immigrant men from 26 countries, all but one of which were non-Arab or non-Muslim, to register with the government and submit to interrogations. When Arabs and Muslims showed up in good faith, thousands were arrested and imprisoned, often for extended periods and without any evidence of criminal activity.

Additionally, Arabs are much more likely to be stopped, interrogated, and detained at airports and other border points. This heightened scrutiny has also affected the treatment of Arabs in legal proceedings. For example, when Arabs are arrested, judges often deny bail or set it at significantly higher figures than for non-Arab defendants.

The racial profiling of Arabs and Muslims in the US gained momentum after the 9/11 attacks, with 60% of Americans favoring racial profiling directed at these groups. The pervasive prejudice and discrimination against Arabs in the US have led to a perception of Arabs and Muslims as less deserving of normal courtesies and civil rights than other ethnic or religious groups. This has resulted in a disturbing tendency to consider Arabs and Muslims as fair targets for harsh treatment and potential internment.

While the Fourteenth Amendment and federal laws such as the Civil Rights Act guarantee equal treatment and protection under the law for everyone, regardless of citizenship status or ethnic background, the reality for many Arabs in the US is one of discrimination and unequal treatment, particularly in the realm of immigration.

The `special registration program led to the arrest and imprisonment of thousands of innocent Arab men

The treatment of Arab men who break American law has been a contentious issue, with prejudice and racial profiling affecting the treatment of Arabs in the United States. One example of this is the "special registration" program instituted by the Department of Justice. On the surface, the program was meant to catalogue immigrants from all nations. In reality, it exclusively targeted immigrant men from 25 non-Arab or non-Muslim countries and one Muslim country.

The program required these men to register with the government and submit to interrogations. When Arab and Muslim men complied and showed up in good faith, thousands were arrested and imprisoned, despite most of them having committed no crime. The lengths of their imprisonment ranged from days to months, and many were treated with extreme harshness and inhumanity. This was part of a broader trend of racial profiling and discrimination against Arabs and Muslims in America, justified under the guise of preventive law enforcement in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

The "special registration" program is a stark example of how Arab men were targeted and punished under the guise of national security. The fact that thousands of innocent men were imprisoned illustrates the discriminatory nature of the program and the broader climate of suspicion and prejudice facing the Arab and Muslim community in the United States. This climate has led to a disturbing tendency to view Arabs and Muslims as less deserving of civil rights and normal courtesies than other ethnic or religious groups.

Prejudice about Arab culture has influenced the treatment of Arabs by police and prosecutors, who often treat Arab men more harshly than non-Arab defendants due to prevalent racist stereotypes. This bias has been evident in domestic relations cases and at border points, where the incidence of Arabs being stopped, interrogated, and detained has increased significantly. When Arabs are arrested, judges often deny bail or set it at higher figures than for non-Arab defendants, further illustrating the unequal treatment faced by this community.

The "special registration" program, therefore, represents a dark chapter in American history, where a vulnerable minority group was targeted and punished without cause. The arrest and imprisonment of thousands of innocent Arab men under this program highlight the challenges faced by the Arab-American community in the legal system and the need for stronger protections against racial profiling and discrimination.

Arab Americans are scrutinised at airports and border points, and often denied bail when arrested

Arab Americans are often scrutinised at airports and other border points. This is a direct result of the heightened negative generalised media and government scrutiny of Arabs following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This scrutiny has led to a sharp increase in the number of Arabs being stopped, interrogated, and detained at airports and other border points.

One example of this scrutiny is the case of Tarek Bazzi, a Dearborn Heights activist for Muslims and a local community member who works with local Muslim organisations like the Hadi Institute. Bazzi was stopped and interrogated at Chicago O'Hare International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Lebanon. He was asked a series of invasive questions, including where he would be staying and whether he had any family in Lebanon. Bazzi shared his experience because he wanted to highlight the discrimination that Arab Americans face at airports.

Another example of this scrutiny is the case of nine Muslim men who were ousted from an airplane because they started their daily prayer. Out of ignorance, the pilot thought they were creating a disturbance, and they were removed from the plane.

In addition to being scrutinised at airports and border points, Arab Americans are also often denied bail when arrested. This is despite the fact that, according to the Fifth Amendment, any action such as arrest, imprisonment, or deportation must be in accordance with the law, whether it is local, state, or national law. The Fourteenth Amendment also guarantees the right to equal treatment under the law. However, in practice, Arab Americans are often treated differently by the justice system. For example, when Arabs are arrested, even those who have lived in the US for decades, judges often deny them bail or set it at significantly higher figures than for non-Arab defendants. This is because Arab Americans are often stigmatised and demonised as a so-called "terrorist" threat.

Overall, while Arab Americans enjoy the same basic rights as other Americans, they are often subjected to various forms of discrimination, including scrutiny at airports and border points and denial of bail when arrested.

There is a lot of real and perceived discrimination against Arab Americans

The narrative surrounding the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, contributed largely to the racialization of Islam and the conflation of Muslims with Arabs and Middle Easterners. This has resulted in increased scrutiny of Arabs at airports and other border points, with many being stopped, interrogated, and detained. The US government has also developed immigration law and law enforcement policies that disproportionately target Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians.

Arab Americans face discrimination in employment and religious practices. They are often denied the opportunity to work in their trained professional fields or to assume management positions. Those who adhere to different religious practices and dress codes may be refused hiring or promotion. Additionally, Arab Americans are often treated more harshly by police and prosecutors due to prevalent racist stereotypes. For example, when Arabs are arrested, judges often deny bail or set it at significantly higher figures than for non-Arab defendants.

The Arab American community also feels that its members are treated differently by the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). While there are no specific discrimination records, it is clear that there is a great deal of real and perceived discrimination, much of which goes undocumented. Campus reports, for instance, rarely include racism against non-Muslim Arab Americans and Middle Easterners. This means that if a non-Muslim Arab is subjected to a racist attack, it is considered "white-on-white crime" rather than a hate crime, leaving them without protection.

Frequently asked questions