Snakes on a Plane: Racialization of Muslims

When I received an email recently with a link to a trailer for the new movie Snakes on a Plane, I thought instantly that this was yet another movie about Islamic terrorists striking planes with planted bombs. Given the current climate, where traveling Muslims on planes are harassed by vigilante passengers keen on identifying potential terrorists, I am sure I was not the only one who thought the way I did.

In actuality, the movie is about someone who deposits a boxful of dangerous snakes into the plane in an attempt to kill off a crucial witness about to testify in a high-profile case. The hero in the film, who does battle with the snakes, happens to be a passenger on the plane.

But however laughable this film is, it happens to be an apt metaphor for the events in recent past. The little elderly white woman who refused to allow the Malaga-Manchester plane to depart on schedule and caused the detainment of two British students because she was afraid of being “killed” by dangerous snakes (i.e. the two students who had brown skin) was an example of passenger vigilantism ala Samuel L. Jackson. She had succeeded to rally several other passengers to her cause. Just like Samuel apparently does in the movie: “Enough is enough. I have had it with these **#$@ snakes on this **#$@ plane”.

If you look like a snake, you must be a snake. If you slither like a snake, you must be a snake. If only it were that easy, when it comes to identifying terrorists on a plane. It is well-known that Hindus, Sikhs and Mexicans, or anyone else that fit the stereotypical physical image of Muslims (brown skinned, beards or head scarves) have been subject to violence, harassment and racial slurs. Today, we can also add that rifling through plastic bags, if you fit the above image, is a trigger for getting arrested under suspicion of performing terrorist-like behaviour. So much for behavioural profiling, as well!

I came across an interesting article today that illustrated one of the implications of racial profiling. The article suggested that law enforcement measures, politicians, religious leaders and the media have contributed to stereotyping Muslims as a race. The point of the article was that it is problematic to portray a faith as a race because there is no set of shared physical characteristics. Yet, the article suggests that the intensified US law enforcement scrutiny, especially at airports, has played a large part in creating a new racial identity. The article also warns of the danger of racializing Muslims, pointing to the rejection of French-born Muslims of French identity that resulted in violence earlier this year (9/11: Five years later typecasting Muslims as a race, Sept. 3, 2006, San Francisco Chronicle).

If America does what France has done, that is, oppose their citizens’ right to be French Muslims citizens as opposed to French citizens, then there may be danger of alienating American Muslims. However, contrary to what the article suggests about racialization process, I actually can see a silver lining in this process. If this process can help break down the existing racial and cultural barriers between the varied American Muslim ethnic groups, then it will strengthen and solidify the community. To date, American Muslims are divided by racial bigotry that differentiates between Arab Muslim, African Muslim and South Asian Muslim and so on. This has weakened Muslims as a lobbying group. If this racialization process moves towards this positive light, American Muslims will be the first in the world to represent a truly ideal multi-ethnic Muslim community.

ps:
If you have been detained without explanation while traveling, please report the incident to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in New York at (212) 870-2002. At least, the data of such incidents collected by CAIR would be proof of the invalidity of the Justice Department and Homeland Security’s assertions that racial profiling is not in place at US airports.