Post by saseitz38 on Nov 16, 2011 22:32:54 GMT -5
After the infamous terrorist attacks by the Islamic militant group al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001, America was launched into a “war on terror.” Fear and anxiety swept through the nation as security and safety became pressing concerns. Fingers pointed towards the Muslims; they became the targets of prejudice and persecution. Furthermore, the tragic events of September 11 created a tyranny of consensus in America that equates all Muslims with terrorists.
In his journal “What Is an American?” St. John de Crevecoeur establishes the concept that America is a melting pot, a nation where “individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men” (Crevecoeur 9). However, the crisis of September 11 has altered this ideology, for now Muslims do not appear to blend in with this race. They are seen as “un-American” due to the loss, destruction, and fear that their fellow al-Qaeda terrorists caused in America. As a result, racial profiling by civilians and US law enforcement agencies has become prevalent. Additionally, legislations passed such as the USA Patriot Act in 2001 and the Military Commissions Act in 2006 have violated the constitutional rights of Muslims in America in regards to freedom of religion and assembly and the promise of unreasonable search and seizure. Muslims cannot pray in airports or other public places without falling under suspicion of terrorism. Indeed, the Muslim faith is constantly under attack by the tyranny of consensus.
In a recent article covered by CNN News, a former Whole Foods Market employee claims that he was fired due to his Muslim faith. Glenn Mack Jr. was terminated in February 2011 under the charge of absenteeism and filed a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March. A well-liked employee, Mack began to face problems after returning from an Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. He fell under close scrutiny by supervisors, and was downgraded from full-time employee to part-time employee before being terminated. Consequently, Mack feels that he is the victim of religious persecution. Despite any evidence of being a terrorist, he fell under suspicion solely because of his religious background.
In essence, the search for terrorists within America can be viewed as a modern-day “witch hunt.” In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Miller conveys the hysteria that resulted in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1960s due to the fear of witchcraft. This fear created a tyranny of consensus that equated sinners with witches. Citizens were accused of witchcraft on the basis of self-preservation by threatened individuals or merely resentment by those in power. For example, Abigail Williams sought the execution of Elizabeth Proctor in the hope that she would take her place as John Proctor’s wife. Although there was no sufficient evidence to prove Elizabeth guilty of witchcraft, she was condemned for denouncing the existence of witchcraft altogether. Thus, Elizabeth became an outsider to the Puritan consensus and a victim of the tyranny.
Undoubtedly, crisis and fear are catalysts of consensus. However, consensuses may not always be moral. In the words of Keith Olbermann, the anchor of “Countdown,” “[Americans] have accepted that the only way to stop the terrorists is to…become just a little bit like the terrorists” (Olbermann 1). When American liberties are threatened, the nation seeks to limit the freedoms of those who have oppressed it. As long as history continues to repeat itself and “witch hunts” persist, the American “war on terror” may never come to an end.
Word Count: 577
Works Consulted:
Hoye, Sarah. "Philadelphia (CNN)– A Former Whole Foods Market Employee Says He Was Fired ..." CNN (blog). Turner Broadcasting System, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/09/worker-says-he-was-fired- from-supermarket-chain-because-he-is-muslim/comment-page-1/>.
In his journal “What Is an American?” St. John de Crevecoeur establishes the concept that America is a melting pot, a nation where “individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men” (Crevecoeur 9). However, the crisis of September 11 has altered this ideology, for now Muslims do not appear to blend in with this race. They are seen as “un-American” due to the loss, destruction, and fear that their fellow al-Qaeda terrorists caused in America. As a result, racial profiling by civilians and US law enforcement agencies has become prevalent. Additionally, legislations passed such as the USA Patriot Act in 2001 and the Military Commissions Act in 2006 have violated the constitutional rights of Muslims in America in regards to freedom of religion and assembly and the promise of unreasonable search and seizure. Muslims cannot pray in airports or other public places without falling under suspicion of terrorism. Indeed, the Muslim faith is constantly under attack by the tyranny of consensus.
In a recent article covered by CNN News, a former Whole Foods Market employee claims that he was fired due to his Muslim faith. Glenn Mack Jr. was terminated in February 2011 under the charge of absenteeism and filed a complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March. A well-liked employee, Mack began to face problems after returning from an Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. He fell under close scrutiny by supervisors, and was downgraded from full-time employee to part-time employee before being terminated. Consequently, Mack feels that he is the victim of religious persecution. Despite any evidence of being a terrorist, he fell under suspicion solely because of his religious background.
In essence, the search for terrorists within America can be viewed as a modern-day “witch hunt.” In the play The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Miller conveys the hysteria that resulted in Salem, Massachusetts in the 1960s due to the fear of witchcraft. This fear created a tyranny of consensus that equated sinners with witches. Citizens were accused of witchcraft on the basis of self-preservation by threatened individuals or merely resentment by those in power. For example, Abigail Williams sought the execution of Elizabeth Proctor in the hope that she would take her place as John Proctor’s wife. Although there was no sufficient evidence to prove Elizabeth guilty of witchcraft, she was condemned for denouncing the existence of witchcraft altogether. Thus, Elizabeth became an outsider to the Puritan consensus and a victim of the tyranny.
Undoubtedly, crisis and fear are catalysts of consensus. However, consensuses may not always be moral. In the words of Keith Olbermann, the anchor of “Countdown,” “[Americans] have accepted that the only way to stop the terrorists is to…become just a little bit like the terrorists” (Olbermann 1). When American liberties are threatened, the nation seeks to limit the freedoms of those who have oppressed it. As long as history continues to repeat itself and “witch hunts” persist, the American “war on terror” may never come to an end.
Word Count: 577
Works Consulted:
Hoye, Sarah. "Philadelphia (CNN)– A Former Whole Foods Market Employee Says He Was Fired ..." CNN (blog). Turner Broadcasting System, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/09/worker-says-he-was-fired- from-supermarket-chain-because-he-is-muslim/comment-page-1/>.