A Media Studies/Current Event litmus test:
1. Heard the story of an Arab who saves a whole coffee shop in Michigan by disarming gunman?
2. Heard the story of an Arab gunman who unloads fire on a military base in Texas?
Which one did you answer affirmative to? Considering the onslaught of op-eds, looped primetime news footage and weekly news magazine covers, I can take a wild stab as to which one.
Instead of employing a comparative analysis of the community and media response to Ft. Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan and Cooley law student Shady Yassin, I would like to highlight the under-publicized heroism of law student Yassin.
During a late night study session at the Bitter End Coffee shop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the twenty-five year-old third year law student single-handedly disarmed a gun-toting, would-be laptop-swiping robber (do you wish he effectively stole all the dashes in that sentence?). Check this local news coverage on the story on Shady saving the world, and if by world you mean 25 people at a coffee shop in Michigan
As Nawal’s rhetorical titular question posed “Why Are Arab And Muslim Organizations So Quick To Condemn?” and yet so slow to celebrate the heroism by someone in our community. And, might I add, why do Arab and Muslim Organizations also miss an opportunity to positively utilize some strategic essentialism to combat a history of public groveling at the media’s feet for an aberrant’s actions? If Arab and Muslim American organizations identified by Nawal of the likes of ADC and CAIR are quick to condemn, they should be quick to celebrate. This is why our communities are continually cornered into the defensive position, because no clearly articulated plan of critical civic engagement has been established in which we can create visibility for the acts like ones done by Yassin. I mean, even the online legal tabloid, “Above the Law,” beat the aforementioned organizations to the chase by honoring Yassin by recognizing him as the “Law Student of the Day” on November 23rd. C’mon A-rabs, let’s spin this like a whirling dervish!
* as a side-note, doesn’t superman have the quintessential arab jheri curl?
Related posts:
- American Muslim Organizations Issue Fatwa
- National Arab-American Museum opens in Dearborn
- Arab American Service
- Arab-American Biker Gets Fierce!
- Rahm: Kneel Before the Awesome Power of the Arab-American Lobby
Good Call May, yes, Arab/Muslim organizations need to highlight those things and celebrate those individuals. Remember the Muslim kid on the NY subway who saved a Jewish kid get from some gangsters on the train? Well, a Jewish group recognized him and gave him an ward. Thanks for bringing up this issue
Posted by Hanitizer | December 7, 2009, 1:58 pmYou kinda blow it when you try to play one off against the other, Maytha.
Posted by programmer craig | December 7, 2009, 7:41 pmAlso, when a Muslim or Arab is celebrated by the media, his specific country of origin is touted as his primary and sometimes sole identity.
However, when a Muslim or Arab from any country is indicted, the entire religion, and the entire Arab world (including its large Christian population) are immediately put under suspicion.
woh wohh =P
Posted by Arayus | December 9, 2009, 1:15 amGreat piece May! I think it's really important that we shed light on the double standards and learn from them. I thought the reaction to Fort Hood was poorly managed.
Posted by NYC Arab | December 9, 2009, 6:37 am