Editorial - Student Opinion

[The following opinion piece was written by students in the RHAM Honors Global Studies class.]

Dear Editor:

We are citizens concerned about stereotypes held by certain people in the U.S. about Arabs, Muslims and the entire Middle East. At a recent political rally in Minnesota, a woman was quoted saying:
“I can’t trust Obama. I have read about him and he’s not – he’s not – he’s a – he’s an Arab”. She was later quoted saying: “You can't trust Barack Hussein Obama because he is a Muslim and a terrorist," using his middle name to make him sound like a threat.
The lady mistakenly thought that Obama was an Arab and a Muslim and therefore concluded he was a terrorist. Being a Muslim or an Arab does not mean that you are a terrorist, or a bad person in any way.
Our reason for writing this does not have anything to do with the election, but the overall misconception of Arabs and Muslims, and how Obama is just an example of how this happens every day. Unlike many similar instances of stereotyping and prejudice that go unnoticed, this example was brought to our attention because of the publicity around the upcoming election.
Our mission in writing this is to correct these stereotypes. A stereotype is a judgment of a whole group of people based on characteristics or behaviors of a few examples. Just as it would be wrong to judge all Americans by the hateful actions of Christian extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, it is equally wrong to judge all Arabs by the few terrorists who participated in 9/11.

Below is the real definition of “Arab”, in contrast to the commonly-held negative stereotype:

Real Definition:
An “Arab” is a member of an ethnic group derived from the Arabian Peninsula.

Negative Stereotype:
All “Arabs” are extremist Muslims who are terrorists, who hate the USA and have goals to destroy it

Instead of these negative stereotypes, here are some facts:

Definition of Muslim: Someone who follows the religion of Islam.

Definition of Extremist: Someone who has extreme views and is willing to go to any length to get their point across.

Definition of Terrorist: Someone who uses fear as a means to control people; someone who violates the rules of war as defined in the Geneva Conventions.

Clarifications:
#1: Not all Arabs are Muslims.
#2: Not all Muslims are Arab.
#3: Not all Arabs are terrorists.
#4: Not all Muslims are terrorists.
#5: Not all terrorists are Muslim.
#6: There are terrorists from many nations and religions. For example, the largest terrorist attack on US soil before 9/11 was committed by Christian Extremists in Oklahoma City.
#7: Not all terrorism is focused on the US.

The United States is a diverse nation that is based on equality and freedom for all. From the time of the first Pilgrims, people came to this country to be free from persecution, yet today we find ourselves persecuting others by discriminating against Arabs and Muslims. Such stereotypes not only build barriers between different groups of people, but also go against the very principles of the country we are trying to defend today.

Thank you for your attention,

Concerned Citizens from RHAM HS