One of the few positive outcomes of the post 9/11 anti-Arab backlash is the realization among Arab-Canadians (both Muslim and Christian) of the need to be more forcefully involved in the political and decision-making process.
Almost immediately after the planes hit on that tragic morning, policies were being drafted to do away with our civil liberties, think tanks worked on ways to conflate Palestinian resistance with terrorism, and the war machine was in full throttle, ready to destroy Afghanistan and Iraq; and rid the world of evil-doers.
As the dust settled, both literally and metaphorically, the hyphen in “Arab-Canadian” took on a whole new meaning. Where it used to be a symbol of being a part of Canada’s multicultural society, it is now a bull’s-eye target. In the airports or on the news, Arab-Canadians are public enemy number one. Our own intelligence agencies are helping to send us off to be imprisoned and tortured.
How did it come to this? That was one of the questions raised at a Yale University Conference in October 2003, where Arab, Arab-Canadian, and Arab-American students met to discuss our role and future in Canada and the US. The consensus was that for many years, our community was coasting along hoping to do well, and leaving the politics for others to deal with.
In no way should this analysis be seen as an attempt to blame the victims. There is certainly no shortage of racism and prejudice among many “experts” and professional Arab-bashers in our society. But we had to acknowledge that prior to 9/11, our community had not done enough to organize, mobilize, and make our voice heard.
To help change this, the participants at the Yale Conference founded the Inter-Collegiate Arab Network (ICAN), a collection of Arab student groups across several US university campuses united in their commitment to raise awareness on issues affecting our community, and working as an organized unit to affect change. (ICAN will soon include Arab student groups on Canadian campuses.)
ICAN is a symptom of a new attitude. We’re no longer just happy to be here, as maybe previous generations were. We now want to have a real say in the direction of our country. Be it in the upcoming Canadian and US federal elections, or in the ongoing debate over the Canadian and US role in the Palestine-Israel conflict, we intend to make our voice heard. We can no longer afford not to. The upcoming anniversary of the illegal war on Iraq should remind us of that.
Today, March 1, 2004, ICAN is taking a step in this direction with the celebration of Yomna (Arabic for “Our Day”) across several US campuses. It is a unifying event aimed at celebrating Arab culture and fostering Arab pride, which is very important since liberating a community’s mind is a crucial step in the journey to empowering that community.
In commenting on the psychological effects of the civil rights era, Dr. Martin Luther King noted, “The greatness of this period was that we armed ourselves with dignity and self-respect. The greatness of this period was that we straightened our backs up. And a man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent.”
