by the Chicago Chapter of Refuse & Resist!
In a widely publicized "airport security incident," former Chicago School Board member and Human Relations Commissioner Anna Mustafa was arrested at O'Hare International Airport December 29. Anna had come to O'Hare to fly to her father's funeral in Jordan. She never got there. Instead, Anna was arrested, charged with 3 felony counts and held on $50,000 bail. How does it happen that a grieving woman ends up in jail instead of at her fatherIs funeral?
Today, racial profiling is being openly upheld as a fair and rational security procedure. While it may be RACIAL profiling, it's not really RACIST we are told. We are told that such profiling is not a matter of treating whole sections of society as permanent suspects. It's not contributing to a climate of fear and hatred against immigrants in society at large, nor giving the green light to police abuse. Racial profiling is simply an efficient law enforcement technique for society's protection. Consider the following story of Anna Mustafa, targeted for "flying while Arab."
The price of a Muslim meal
In December Anna got the news her father passed away and immediately made plans to fly to Jordan for the funeral. She arrived at the airport accompanied by family members to see her off. Anna found comfort in the airport check-in person asking her if she would prefer a Muslim meal on her flight. Maybe, Anna thought, the worst fears of her community about the treatment of Arabs and Muslims were exaggerated. Moments later, with an airport employee carrying her bags, Anna was quietly escorted away. Anna thought she was being given a special courtesy because of her situation.
It soon began to dawn on Anna that something was not right. How the check-in person's friendly face oddly changed when Anna accepted the offer of a Muslim meal. How this check-in person immediately disappeared followed by her quick return with additional authorities. Anna was escorted to a special bomb detection machine. Puzzled by what was happening, the only explanation Anna was given was "federal regulation." The sinking feeling began to come over Anna that she was being singled out for special treatment simply because she was Arab Muslim. Anna's son stepped up to ask what was going on as his mother was being shuffled away. The answer her son got was a finger in his face and a security guard sneering, "It's your fault 6,000 people died!" Anna tried to swallow the humiliation and do what she had to so she would not miss the flight to her father's funeral.
"I'm going to dance on your parents' graves"
Anna never got on the plane to travel to her father's funeral. Instead, she was put through a humiliating ordeal that ended up with her under arrest, handcuffed and thrown in the back of a Chicago Police Dept. squad car. Her flight missed, it became clear Anna would not be attending her father's funeral. At this traumatic moment, the Chicago cop pointed down and said, "See these boots? They're going to dance on both of your parents' graves!" Unable to hold back any longer, Anna reportedly called him a "racist, fascist pig." All things considered, this is probably more polite than how most people would respond.
Authorities justify the outrageous treatment Anna endured by claiming that a distraught Anna made a threat about a bomb in her purse. Keep in mind that this claim of a "bomb threat" comes from airport security personnel whose mindset from the beginning was that Anna was a suspect based solely on her nationality and religion. Anna explained that the supposed "threat" consisted of her simply pointing out that her purse had not been put through the bomb-detection machine. While it is undeniable that Anna never posed any kind of security threat, nonetheless, Anna still faces felony charges and jail time, not to mention having already been punished by missing her fatherI's funeral. Anna is the VICTIM here. She is not a criminal. It's the authorities who are guilty of racist cruelty.
The "war on terrorism" means the state never has to say it's sorry
One might expect to hear at this point that the authorities had dropped the charges and swept the incident under the rug, writing it off as over zealous security. After all, how could the government hope to keep a straight face when they talk about "tolerance" and "respect" for Muslims and Arabs if someone like Anna Mustafa could be profiled as a terrorist suspect and treated in such a degrading manner? But Anna's story does not end like that. In fact, this story of Anna's life being torn apart was only the beginning. Not only indicted for three felonies and facing years in prison, Anna has since been fired from her job and she is now receiving threatening phone calls.
In the eyes of the authorities, Anna apparently made two mistakes. First, she was born an Arab Muslim. Secondly, in the face of degrading treatment at a moment of terrible grief, Anna refused to go quietly. She questioned why she was being treated like the enemy. A few days after the incident, Anna and her family had the courage to go to the media to speak out about what had happened. They've received not apologies, but threats.
Ironically, Anna is a true believer in the system. Friends say she was the first in the neighborhood to put up the American flag on her house after September 11. In her capacity as Board of Education member and Human Relations Commissioner Anna worked loyally within the city government. But that has not stopped the authorities from trying to destroy Anna's life to make an example of her. If they can get away with doing this to Anna, what kind of precedent does that set? It says that no matter what kind mistreatment or violation of one's civil liberties is suffered, the STATE is always in the right while the victim doesn't have a right to question anything. And if a well-known former public official like Anna Mustafa can be openly mistreated in this way, how do you think many other Muslims or Arabs are being treated? Think about the people who have been secretly detained and whose names in most cases the public doesn't even know.
This is a clear-cut case of racist profiling. Anna needs to be defended and the line drawn against this kind of "anything goes in the interests of security" logic. If a measure of justice is won by stopping the government from destroying Anna's life, it will be a victory in the broader defense of Arab and Muslim people and the defense of civil liberties. Our movement needs to build off the kind of unity expressed on the Feb. 20 National Day of Solidarity with Muslim, Arab and South Asian Immigrants when people from different communities, nationalities and political and religious beliefs joined together.
In Chicago, come to Court March 14 at 26th & California, room 304 at 9:30 a.m.
Drop The Charges Against Anna Mustafa!
Stand With Our Muslim, Arab And South Asian Brothers & Sisters!
Stop The Witch Hunt!
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
[posted 3/4/02]
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