The changing face of America

It will be interesting to see the replies from our resident Uncle Tom(s) to this article.

It seems clear from your article that you have not flown much. In particular, where you note ``I was one of the first people to be served a meal, the rest were served significantly later.``, it is standard practice in all airlines to serve special meals (vegetarian, hallal etc.) before regular meals. As for the quality of service on the airlines (which constitutes the bulk of your article): this is a common complaint among airline travellers everywhere.

Your article reminded me of this pakistani fellow who was travelling from Rawalpindi to Lahore, and repeatedly asked the air hostess of ``toys for the children`` (this is a 40 minute flight) and loudly complained about how they were not providing toys for his children.

Thank your lucky stars you are getting good education in the US, where no doubt (despite your whining) you will try to settle down if you can. On 9/11, the US is quite right in tightening security on its airlines. Next time I travel by air, I certainly would hope they do a thorough check. Muslim fanatics have proven that they are not above hijacking planes and murdering innocent passengers in them. This is reality, even if many Pakistanis have difficulty accepting it.

Yes, America has changed. I too find it annoying to be asked too many questions and looked at differently during domestic flights, let alone international ones. Some officials, inherently rude bureaucrats, have gone beyond the norms of decent behavior. Yet, I cannot ignore the fact that while all Muslims/Arabs are not terrorists, all the terrorists were Muslims/Arabs.

America has become a more scrutinizing, suspicious place for brown people. But how would other countries have reacted? I can assure you that if this 9/11 happened in Pakistan and the perpetrators were, say, all Christians proclaiming a crusade, there won`t be any profiling in Pakistan; there`d be no need to since in 48 hours or so no Christian would exist. My point is that America is being harsh but, puttin it in perspective, she is being far less harsh than many of our `old` home counrties would be under similar circumstances.

First, as a Pakistani-American male, I myself flew Virgin Atlantic to and from London in August of 2002 and had no issues whatsoever with the in-flight service. They were actually pretty friendly and everyone was tended to equally. Beyond the cramped seating of economy class, I had no complaints. I had my ice cream Dove bar like everyone else on time, and could watch ``Bend It Like Beckham`` or play 5 million video games if I wanted to. And I pretty much fit the physical profile of a prime terrorist suspect, but was never treated like one. Considering most flight attendants on Virgin Atlantic are British, you may have experienced the typical anti-desi racism from some white Brits rather than any new post-9/11 anti- Muslim treatment.

Second, as for successul ``smear campaigns`` in the United States, well, much of it has to do with the fracturing of the Muslim society within the US. None of the communities from the so-call Muslim ``Ummah`` in the U.S. is remotely united. Arabs keep to themselves, most Iranians here are in denial that they`re Muslim to begin with and are superior to everyone else, most Afghans here do nothing but bash Pakistan, the African-American Muslims do their own thing, the list goes on. What you do see is that the Pakistani society in the United States is one of the most apathetic immigrant communities around. Activism? What activism? Community outreach? Media relations? ``Someone else can do that. Our culture is to let things happen to us and then to complain about it and be upset. We`ll whine about our dismal state at a family friend`s daawat and then go back to work as normal the following Monday.``

Sure, the United States is at a point of crisis where the population is deeply divided over which direction the country is heading. I don`t condone American foreign policy and am no fan of the likes of Ann Coulter, Bill O`Reilly, etc. but whose repsonsibility is it to counteract our image and the policies against us? Beyond stooges like Mansoor Ijaz, anyway? Many just sit around and expect white sympathizers to do the work for us. It`s not up to them for us to be treated fairly and for the policies in regards to the Muslim world to be in our favor. The Jewish community did this in a brilliant way - excel in ALL elements of society so that you`re in control of what`s perceived of you. The Indian community is closely following that lead. There are Indian sportscasters and weather women on Bay Area local news stations. There`s a potential Indian governor of Louisiana. There`s a telegenic Indian-American doctor reporting on all things health-wise on CNN. They`re crafting public opinions about their community this way. Pakistanis, and Muslims in general, well, are content in just pursuing the American dream of making the big buck and keeping to themselves. Until the community wakes up and says, ``Hey, we need our kids to go into journalism. We need our kids to go into politics. We need our kids to go into Hollywood. We need our kids to go into law. We need to get over pushing them into just being doctors and engineers, making money, and then just getting married. We ourselves need to to get over our national boundaries and unite as Muslims to form a voting block to be reckoned with. We ourselves need to consistently write letters to the editor refuting Muslim bashing letters in the newspapers.`` I try my best locally, and in the Bay Area, it`s easy to have a sympathetic ear, but it`s all about trying harder in other places.

You, for example, instead of complaining about your treatment on Virgin on a Chowk bulletin board, could have complained directly to the Virgin office once you landed. Or the Better Business Bureau. Or told an Muslim or minority or immigrant advocacy group or a local ACLU chapter who would have looked into the matter to see if there was a pattern of discrimination on that airline. See, here in the US, you actually have these avenues to take. In Pakistan, where would you go complain about discrimination? Nowhere.

As for intolerant societies, hey, I know my roots are from Pakistan, and I am a staunch defender of the country when need be to other friends and acquantances, but I`m not in some denial that Pakistan is some egalitarian utopia. I`d much rather be a Muslim in the United States than a Hindu, Jew or Qadiani (or in these days, even a Shi`a) in Pakistan any day.

It`s not a hopeless situation here. The amount of people who came to protest against the Iraq war (almost all NON-MUSLIMS I might add, even a lot of Hindu Indians) shows that a significant portion of society is not sucking up what Bush is saying. Muslims, Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis alike, have a lot of work to do. Whether we do that work and make ourselves known as a viable force in the 2004 election will be a huge test.

In all, complain all you want about America. Just do something about it.

I think the airline and the general attitude of people back home is much worse amongst and towards each other then over here ( usa ).

But I am not going to complain.
Atleast I wasnt detained and put in jail for months for being Pakistani or muslim. Atleast I wasnt deported to Syria despite being a candian citizen just because I was a syrian once. ( and jailed for full one year ), atleast I wasnt treated like a criminal and denied even an attorney and tortured in jails just because of my middle eastern origin or muslim nationality. Atleast I wasnt a victim of hate crime despite the fact that I was a sikh , so what if I had a beard.

nope I am not going to complain just because of bad airline food and custom delays.

Aliya:

(thanks for this safarnama...i always wanted to use the other v word in a sentence associated with me ever so nonchalantly...and hence my thanks for this opportunity:)

...am a virgin as far as virgin air is concerned...but am not a virgin when other airlines are concerned...and being a virgin (as far as virgin airways is concerned) i cannot comment on their inflight service...but not being a virgin i can comment on the inflight service, barely bio-degradeable edible stuff they bring for meals, entertainment, flooded toilets, barely functioning stereo outlets, 32 inch vs. 34 inch leg room, the terrible arthritic pantomime impersonation that is mandatory on all ‘over-the-seas’ flights, the never silent…oh all right ..the always crying brats, the parents who disown the kids as soon as they enter the cabin, the bumpy landing...that endangered traveler on the Unesco list--the polite and considerate traveler…haven’t encountered one yet…now back to virgin airways…am sure my brother seasoned curmudgeon and traveler hamidm will have more to say on this…this is the stuff he lives by…as for ayatollah ashcroft and his shenanigans...oh well...may He save us from him… and him from us...

...t

Iif the author had made a tenth of the effort in writing a letter to Virgin Customer Service she would have ghad some nice goodies. I flew Virgin and missed my connecting flight. The ground staff were pricks (pre 9/11) and so I called and complained and got $80 worth of inflight duty free coupons.

There is an increased threat perception and racial profiling does come into play. But so what? Which country would not do that? And to blame customs and immigration agents for thorough questioning is pretty dumb.

As far as the Uncle Tom comment is concerned, that is pretty ironic from someone who has no express problem with Maulvis coming to power in his own country.

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Stuka #7: “As far as the Uncle Tom comment is concerned, that is pretty ironic from someone who has no express problem with Maulvis coming to power in his own country.”

Interesting comment. Though I am not sure what being an Uncle Tom has to do with maulvis. But since you have made a false accusation, a reply is thus in order.

I have a hell of a lot of problem with maulvis coming into power anywhere – much less in Pakistan. I hate ideologues who think their way is the best way, and everyone else’s opinion does not matter. One sees this along the extremes in Pakistan; both amongst the secularatics and religionatics. This is also why I dislike much of US foreign policy, especially under George Bush. “My way or the highway” may create a lot of enthusiasm in the beginning, but in the long run, it is self-destructive. This is what many of the jingoistic supporters of the Iraq war are beginning to find out. Iraq is already a bigger mess than it was before, and is, in my opinion, one major attack against US forces, from completely blowing up. This is also, hopefully, what the Uncle Toms will discover soon enough, when the same Patriot Acts will come to bite them and/or their families.

I am surprised you haven’t noticed my views against religious extremism coming into power in Pakistan, or in India or anywhere else. In fact, I have been one of the first critics of BJP on this site, when others were going out of their way to defend it. I think maulvis of MMA will destroy Pakistan if they don’t moderate their views. At the same time, one needs to keep in mind that there is a huge gap between the views of the MMA and the views of BJP. Just like there is a huge gap between the views of John Ashcroft and the views of MMA. Ashcroft being less extremist than MMA, which is less extremist than BJP. But all three are ideologues, and thus need to be controlled.

At the same time, I also oppose extremists from any other direction coming into power anywhere, as well. This includes corrupt individuals like Benazir, who hide behind the facades of secularism. It also includes individuals like Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussain etc. who hid behind similar facades of secularism. This opinion of mine is different from the opinions of those who think extremism comes only from maulvis. I think it can come from any direction. This is perhaps where you and I differ.

The second point is that, in my opinion, one has to recognize the will of the people, and only try to remove it by providing a better option. Not by trying to shove people (including maulvis) into the sea. The only time individuals should be pushed into the sea is if they start carrying out massive human rights violations, like the BJP or Sapah-e-Sahaba do in Pakistan. Or massive corruption like what BB indulges in. Other than that, it is always much better to learn to live with individuals, who have differing opinions, than to attempt to destroy them. Because, if one tries to destroy them, then they will return the favor – especially if they have a power base of their own. For example, I don`t like Ashcroft, but I would not advocate his being assasinated.

So, no, I do not support maulvis of MMA in power. However, if the only other option available is the corrupt Benazir or Nawaz, then I think they would be the lesser evil, since the other two have already shown their cards. Luckily there are other options available in Pakistan - other than BB and MMA - and I happen to support those options. At the same time, I advocate the policy that if the maulvis have been elected in some area, and are not as extremist as the BJP, then it is better for Pakistanis to learn to accommodate them, and learn to live with them, then to try to annihilate them. Since, I doubt they are weak enough to be annihilated. And if they are attacked, they will become even more extremist and will start turning into a BJP-like group.

I think sooner or later, Pakistani maulvis will have to understand that they need to learn to live with the secularists. And the Pakistani secularists will have to understand that they have to learn to live with the maulvis. And both groups will have to realize that the correct way to get rid of the other is not through rhetoric, which only preaches to the choir. The correct way to get rid of the other is by proving yourself to be a better option in looking after the poor of the country.

Hopefully that makes my position clear. Now over to the idea of Uncle Tom. Or Chacha Tom – a better analogy.

Sounds like you had a pretty good experience at the hands of pagans, christians and atheists. I really mean that since profiling for some odd reason seems to target old white folks at US airports. I also recently came across a (white) french woman who was shaking and swearing under her breath after she had been subjected to a body cavity search at the local airport.

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less of an article, more of a crib-session

i like slacker`s comments (#4) below.
I would much rather lend a sympathetic ear to someone who has tried to change things, but has faced / is facing lots of frustrations along the way. The thing is, these ppl are likely to be looking for workarounds or different ways to make some progress - rather than look for sympathetic ears.

but, yes, things have changed. shit happens.
reset expectations, focus on stuff that is within your sphere of influence (usu. much larger than what we expect it to be), look at alternatives, and forge ahead.

Samuel Johnson, the creator of the English dictionary was once berated by a lady for including `dirty` words in his dictionary. Johnson`s simple rebuttal ``Ma`am you`ve been looking for them!``.

Aliya bibi seems to be in a similar situation.

later
-sac

...as a brownie who takes several flights a year, this sounds like a bunch of nonsense....sometimes they`ll check the brownies twice at security, but that`s about it...and i`d rather they check me twice than end up with an armed urstruly on a flight...

...this dude got bad customer service from bankrupt airlines just like almost any other traveller might get and he is screaming racism...

Hey! Talking about discrimination, here`s my experience:

It was friggin` freezing in the airplane and when I tried to shut the damn AC off on top of my head; I was splashed with water in my face. The flight attendant simply ignored my complaint. When the food was being served, I was served a ``special diet meal`` (as per my request due to my colon surgery). The tray had four leaves of lettuce, two tomato slices, two cucumbers, and shreds of carrot. The bread was hard and cold. So much for a diet meal! I survived on three Milky Way bars I had bought from the airport. I asked for some tea, which was colorful but tasteless, so I bugged the flight attendant again for some coffee instead, and you know what, I`d rather gulp down tar!
Wait... it doesn`t end yet.... It was then time for their feature film, Charlie`s Angels, and with my luck the recycled headset I got had earwax on it. How nasty! I again complained to the flight attendant. She gave me a nasty glare and said ``sorry`` (probably thinking in her head ``who does this wanna-be American think she is!) I asked her if she understood the words that were coming out of my mouth, to which she just said, ``please wait`` and left. I waited and waited to no return. So I just tried to sleep throughout my long PIA flight, hopeless that anyone would pay any attention to my cries.
Arriving at the airport, all of my baggage was screened, my passport was scanned, and my visa was verified. The long moustache, expressionless, bitter attitude officer questioned me ``miss this is your passport and you travel alone?`` and I said ofcourse it`s my passport and what did he mean by travelling alone? A woman in her late twenties can’t travel alone? His next question, ``what is the purpose of your trip?`` I mean jeez.... Why do American citizens (of Pakistani origin) visit Pakistan? I told him, it was to attend a cousin`s wedding, meet my relatives, friends, and to have a great summer. He then proceeded to ask me where I got the Pakistani visa on my passport from? Ofcourse from the Pakistani embassy in NY, where else. I thought to myself, do I look Pakistani enough? Why is he asking me all this? Can`t he see that I am of Pakistani origin? Anyhow, the interrogation ended with not even a ``thankyou`` or ``sorry`` or ``enjoy your stay``.
Okay, so I can`t take any action against the airport officer, the baggage checking, the passport scanning, because it was all routine work. It`s their job. BUTTT.... I did write a letter to PIA`s chief authority detailing my entire flight experience in explicit detail and I did not forget to mention the nasty flight attendant`s name. I`m still waiting for a reply. If I do get a free compensation ticket, I`ll sell it on E-bay!
So dear chowkies would you consider this discrimination? My parents don`t think so. They say that`s just how it is!