Loose Change was one of the strongest conspiracy theories I've heard and i was blown away. One of the girl's even said it, "It was a hard pill to swallow." I was not directly affected by 9/11 or post 9/11 but it was a national event that affected and changed the way we would react to 9/11. The video presented outstanding evidence against what we know happened on Sep. 11 and countless questions that still haven't been answered. It reminds me of the "self-incrimination" the American government is famous for because the more they bullshit the American people, there is a counter idea and brave individuals who are going to call some people out. There is overwhelming evidence that challenge the official story of 9/11 and it is obvious that the government is withholding vital information. Our only hope is to challenge the bullshit and demand justice. The truth is being hidden and many people just want to know what happened. The answers the video alluded to are sadly possible, but they still leave us asking questions and with the damaging aftermath of 9/11.
A comic book that explores some of these damaging aftermaths is Rassi El Toufic's Arab in America. Similar to many of the Arab Americans dealing with post 9/11, Toufic admits that the America's anti-Semitic culture made him ashamed of being Arab. Rassi's critical perspective was interesting because it allowed him to notice Arab discrimination and prejudice normally overlooked and accepted in American society. He also points out American's ignorance in not being able to differentiate Arabs from Muslims from other nationalities. Similar to my observations in the movie The Kingdom Americans have been socialized to construct themselves against the "other," an enemy. Important to note is that Americans were not the only ones terrified after 9/11, Arabs like Rassi also lived in fear of being targeted or deported. On a bus ride, Toufic becomes increasingly uneasy when he questions if an American would be able to distinguish him from the photos of the hijackers that in fact "looked like him." Toufic also comments on the photos themselves. The photos were problematic because of the humiliation and terror they were intended to invoke. Much like the American funded "reality" tv show in Iraq, the government uses methods such as humiliation to dehumanize and shame their subjects. "Catching" a criminal and circulating a humiliating mug shot is a strategy meant to reaffirm the stereotypes against Arabs and Muslims. Toufic mentions that one of the terrorist photos was of a man who was arrested when he was in bed. He obviously was going to look wild and disgruntled, but the photo was meant to "invite mockery." The importance of language and discourse is shown with the way "arab" and "muslim" are immediately synonymous with terror and violence. Especially post 9/11, the propaganda was everywhere.
From an Arab perspective he clearly believes that racism against Arabs is tolerated, encouraged and supported in America. His perspective is interesting and complicated because like many immigrants he is caught in the middle: he doesn't feel like he belongs to America and yet he is not entirely devoted to Arab or Muslim culture and tradition. As Toufic presents the alternative Arab perspectives he shows the varying ways Muslims and Arabs deal with their identity in America varying from denial, rejection, protest and him, unwanted and lost. When he tries to become a citizen he realizes that he was on his own with "these" people. He reveals that "this is not my country and never could be."
One of my favorite points was when he reveals that Americans don't even know who they hate. America was founded on the idea that "we" are here, superior, dominant and everyone else is the "other." The American "enemy" shifts every time the government has a political agenda. If its not the Mexicans, it is the Arabs, if it is not the Arabs it is the Indians... Overall, Toufic, similar to Said, identifies the problem with the West's perception and constant representation of the East. As he observes some palestinian photos taken by a white college student, he finds the photos to be "exploitative" and came to the same conclusion as Said: everything Americans know about Arabs is almost always filtered through the eyes of a white American, whether it is from a biased, prejudiced newscaster or an educated college student Arabs are always represented by someone else. In the end, Toufic chooses to take pride in his Arab identity and not only appreciates the beauty of his people, but the beauty in humanity. There are political and social reasons for racial profiling, racism and discrimination but at the end of the day we have to realize that "we" are all human and there is no "other."
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