In the picture above: Muslim prayer in the desert (Wadi el Gamal)
I’ve been living in the Middle East area enough to get very annoyed when I see the suspicious looks poor Arabs get in the airports. Well, they get suspicious looks everywhere but I thought about writing this post after my last flight. So I’m talking about airports.
But I’ve been living in Europe enough too, to know that prejudices are still there, and very strong too. And I hate it.
First of all, as you might know, not all Muslims are terrorists (yes I am sarcastic). Actually, I met some Muslim people that don’t believe the late Bin Laden and his buddies are Muslim at all. But still.
And not all Arabs are Muslims. So if you really want to discriminate, at least make sure you know what you’re talking about.
There is another kind of terrorism, which is the psychological one: after the 9/11 events, medias are trying to present Arab people and Muslims in particular as evil. But don’t mix the good with the bad. Wtf.
That said, if you’re scared of Muslims you’ve probably never been to a Muslim Country. If you’ve been to a Muslim Country and you’re still scared, I’m scared of you.
Korba Basilique, Heliopolis, Cairo. The man doesn't carry bombs but milk.
Now (I’m talking to the scared passengers in the airports), next time you fly and you start having your paranoias about that “weird” Arab guy next to you, you might want to keep in mind that:
IN THE AIRPORT
1) If he’s carrying a trolley, just because he’s an Arab he’s not carrying a bomb. He’s probably just carrying a trolley …like you.
2) If he forgets something somewhere, just because he’s an Arab he’s not placing a bomb in the airport. He’s probably just forgetting his something somewhere and it would be nice of you to let him notice.
3) If he starts praying, just because he’s an Arab he’s not uttering his last sentences of repentance and condemnation to infidels before blowing up. He’s probably just praying his God, the way Muslims do. Which is fascinating.
People praying in Tahrir Square, Cairo. Not scary but beautiful
ON THE PLANE
1) If he goes to the toilet, just because he’s an Arab he’s not placing a bomb. He’s probably just going to the toilet. Do you ever go to the toilet? Oh so Christians do that too, what a coincidence.
2) If he goes to the toilet AGAIN, just because he’s an Arab he’s not checking why the bomb he previously placed didn’t work. He’s probably just going to the toilet again… He might be sick. Maybe he just wants to pick his nose and needs some privacy 
…Oh well this is not your business anyway.
3) If he’s texting, just because he’s an Arab he’s not triggering an explosion. He’s probably just texting his friend/mother/lover that he’s on the way home. I’m sure the text includes some “habiby” here and there.
4) If he’ talking on the phone and -omg- he’s speaking Arabic, just because he’s an Arab he’s not talking to his terrorist gang. He’s probably just chatting with his friend/mother/lover, as above. And he’s just speaking his (beautiful) language.
5) If he looks over excited, just because he’s an Arab he’s not under drugs to be prepared to the attack. He’s probably over excited because he’s going on holiday, or back home after a long time.
6) If he looks depressed, just because he’s an Arab he’s not sad about his imminent death. He’s probably sad about leaving that nice resort, or his family. Just like you. Maybe he needs to talk to someone. Or maybe he just noticed the suspicious looks he’s getting from you, and feels sorry.
7) If he looks very nervous, just because he’s an Arab he’s not thinking about the upcoming disaster. He’s probably very scared of flying. Maybe it’s his first time… How cute!
Despite the latest events, in Egypt I witnessed the greatest religious unity I ever saw.
Despite what the news show (which are always and only the bad news), everyday life is completely different and concerning religion there is no problem at all.
Classmates. Photo/Graphics by Rafik Morcos
I once saw a big mosque in Cairo… I was very impressed with it. I went around it to discover there is a big church just behind him. The friend who was with me told me that people from the mosque and the church use to celebrate festivities together and share their spaces.
During the Revolution, while Muslims were praying in Tahrir Square, Christian used to surround them holding hands to protect them from the police.
- Christians (see cross tattoo on the guy’s wrist) protecting Muslims during the prayer in Tahrir Square, during the Egyptian Revolution. Unknown author (plz contact me for credit if it’s you)
Did you ever see this in your hometown, in the “modern and civilized west”? Looks like we have something to learn. :)
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35 Comments
Hey,
Beautiful thought! yes i agree…but some fucking(sorry to use this) morons doesn`t understand this….my first manager was muslim and he is still my mentor….people shouldn`t be prejudiced….thanks for sharing this…loved the above click…wonder if anything like this happens in modern and civilized west…..
Nop, I don’t see anything like this in the civilized west… People are scared of other cultures, for some reason. Hopefully things will change!
Thank you, it’s good to see other open minded people around me.:)
The world can to come to its end by the labels the media is always putting and convincing people with causing a lot confusion and misunderstanding! But thanks to travelers like you Giulia who can talk about what they actually see with their own eyes.
Please keep on traveling, discovering, reflecting and sharing your thoughts. You are making the world a better place. Thank you)
Shukran ya Hazem… you have a beautiful mind. Miss you!
I wasn’t planning to visit but I went to Malaysia years ago and that was my very first Muslim encounter. During those years I’ve heard so much about Muslims mainly through news but never actually met anyone. Because I wasn’t planning, I just entered the country and met without any pre-anxious. I’ve heard the prayer every day, I’ve been to Mosque, and I’ve seen people. And I studied one course of ‘World religion and philosophy’ in University. I didn’t think religion made people violent, and I’ve learn the history as well. The small portion of people who has strong voice made all the image. That’s not fair. We need to see clearly. People need to look wider.
Amen to that sis! People do need to look wider, and I also think people who are scared (for some reason) never visited a Muslim country. They should, and they would change their mind.:)
Spot on girl! Not all Muslims are terrorists.. just met some really cool people from Oman and they are the kindest souls on earth – would not harm a fly. Religion per se is not bad. The bastardization of what is pure, is the evil.
Great post;)
True, religion/beliefs per se are never the problem, it’s a matter of interpretation. And I hate when medias try to convince us about something! Grrr! Thanks Ciki!
Beautifully expressed ideas. I can’t agree more with what you’re saying – people are way too quick to believe the stereotypes pounded into them by the media. I travelled to Tunisia a few years ago and found it fascinating to see what life is like in a Muslim country. I wish the small-minded people out there would get the chance to travel and see that there are nice people in every area of the world who belong to every religion of the world.
Thanks for sharing this. Before I visited the Middle East this April, I didn’t have a good sense of what the culture was like. Given the constant negative media coverage, it’s understandable that Americans think the entire region is the same, and a war zone at that. It’s true that the best way to counter these stereotypes is to actually visit an Arab/Muslim country!
The prejudice towards Muslims is disgusting. Here in the UK, there’s a big Muslim community but, unfortunately, that doesn’t stop the prejudice. I live in a small town and the people here generally have a very ‘small town attitude.’ I used to work in a newsagents whose owners sold it to a family who were originally from India. You wouldn’t believe how many customers would come in and ask me when the new owners were taking over – because as soon as they did, the customers would stop coming!
In the UK, there’s a very big community of Indian and Pakistani families who moved here a generation or two ago. There was one guy who lived in my street whose parents were from India but he was born here. I used to see him all the time and joke around with him … but then I’d get asked why I was bothering with ‘that Paki terrorist.’ *SO* many things wrong with that sentence: Number 1) He wasn’t a terrorist. Number 2) He wasn’t even a Muslim, like his parents – he was an atheist. Number 3) He wasn’t a “paki” – His parents were from India. Number 4) He had a stronger Welsh accent than me!!! He was British! He’d never even been to India and considered himself Welsh!
*sigh* There’s just way too much ignorance in the world.
I come from multi racial Singapore. A country where religious tolerance is law. I am a Muslim myself. I have not faced any sorts of discrimination my entire life, even on my travels. The only discrimination I had ever experienced was in Sydney just ‘cos I’m Asian but thats not the point. The conflict and political revolution in the Middle East and the ship blockade in Gaza have always been labelled as religious but deep down we all know it has always been a fight for humanity. Media organisations with political affiliations are to be blamed for poisoning people’s mind with bad coverage. We don’t know how long this bad image of Islam will lasts. Perhaps only time can tell.
This is a fantastic post, Giulia. It’s tragic and ridiculous that Muslims are so feared. The media is responsible for this harmful misconception, I believe. I’ve found Muslim countries and their people, especially those in the Persian Gulf, to be the quietest, calmest, most dignified and friendliest on earth. I’m American and I’m more afraid of Americans as a whole than I am Muslim men from Muslim countries. This stereotyping has got to stop.
This post is very enlightening about the muslim culture
[…] “Scared of Muslims in airports? Read this!” – A post about discrimination against Arabs vs religious unity in the Middle East. […]
This is fantastic. I enjoyed your humorous way of approaching this serious topic. And the line, “If you’ve been to a Muslim Country and you’re still scared, I’m scared of you”…. love that too :-)
WOW! what a masterpiece!!
Thank you for explaning the other face of Islamophobia and Arabphobia..
Common people, whats wrong with you. Arabs are just like anyother group of people. They have all kinds of variety. Honestly, I am against going everywhere explaining that, as a Muslim, i have attended several weddings and funerals at churches, and had a christain best friend, and how i stood with my christain neighbour next to eachother during the 25 Jan revolution in Tahrir sq. God! it is just trying too hard. People just have to accept that, as you said, Arabs are not just Muslims. and not all Arabs are terrorists, just the same way that not all Americans are Hollywood stars, or all are WHITE!
Thank you for a tuely inspiring article
Great job and great sense of humor
Thank you for writing this article, very illuminating.
I’m a Muslim myself and I feel very sad when I see people scared of Arabs and Muslims but then I feel like I understand why they think that and when I put myself in their place, I feel ashamed cause I think that I might do the same.That’s why I try not to stereotype and judge anyone cause I know how it feels like…
wow, this is so comforting, thank you so much!
anytime :)
Hey what about living in Cyprus.? Where it used too be Christian till the Muslim turks came in and kicked us out or killed us. Does that count? I think youre someone who hasent been affected by this fucked religion!
I actually live in a Muslim country (and I am not religious).
This post was obviously satirical but sorry it was not obvious to you… and also, it was against prejudice, not actual facts. I actually know what happened in Cyprus, been there, but does this mean the religion itself is “fucked”? I guess the problem is with the people, not the religion!
Oh btw..“If you’ve been to a Muslim Country and you’re still scared, I’m scared of you”..There is some Muslims countrys you could go too and YOU wouldnt come out of.
Oh btw… I live in a Muslim country. Oh btw… I said it before!
And oh btw… there are dangerous places in the world no matter the religion. That said, there’s no single country in the world I wouldn’t visit…
Its a different story from the ones of Muslims dominating and butchering Christians and others all over the world. Hanging Gays, chopping off limbs, stoning adulterers
and Apostates from Islam.
Its a different story from the UK at present where we have had dozens of muslim paedophiles sentenced to prison, and the police are investigating FIFTY FOUR more Muslim gangs of Paedophile rings.
Its a different story to “Patrols” of muslim men wandering the streets of London and ascertaing to passers by that they are now in a “Muslim area”, and must obey those precepts… often to the terror of women.
It is a different story to Muslims in Amsterdam waiting for Gays to come out of Gay venues and attacking them…innocently.
Islam is battling in 49 countries as aggressive wars.
Sorry, your utopia may be lovely to you……….
But I want Islam as far away from my family as I can… it is vile, warlike and is abusing our children…… a cult of Death and fear.
So feel free to feel scared of them, in airports and anywhere!
You know what I really like? When people can recognize irony ;D
Shut up Guilia u moron!!!
:D
fyi it’s spelled “Giulia” :D
Can you tell the difference between a bad American and a GOOD American? NO! You can’t by sight alone. I can’t tell the difference between a BAD middle easterner and a GOOD one by sight alone, either. And considering the extremists of the Middle East have been, of late, the ones to ram planes into buildings, I’ll continue to be nervous as rightfully earned.
Exactly dont make u a bad person..wtf ..oh no I offended a whole religion..no, not that, the same ppl that whine abt it will make fun of a white Person or black person or down a persons religion coz we must be out out minds if we dont live and die by the Koran…so sad!!!
It doesnt make u a racist if u feel a lil uneasy if u see a muslim on a plane..jus the same if u walked thru a black neighborhood u likely feel a lil nervous..those are prejudicesand ststereotypes we all have ..ull all lying hypocrits if u dont kno what im saying..im sure u mite make a lighthearted joke if u were with your friend and seen a muslim on a plane..or u saw a 600lb woman ..no-one would male a comment? Give me a break..this world is so pathetically sensitive to everything, again it dont make u racist..u have to hate an entire race to be a bigot, I have Muslims that live in my building an work with a few..their awesome ppl an I even joked with them abt the plane, they dont thinkits rite and neither do I ,but they can understand it ..calm your titties ppl..this pc world is outta control..u cant say a FUCKING thing wo offending someone, getting nauseating u know????!!!!
Yes but Jim, you’re saying “moron” and this makes your argument invalid. So if you want to talk, please chill, then come back. This was meant to be an ironic post but I am sorry you didn’t get it! ;)
Julia: good post. I’d like your honest take on how you would rebut the idea (fair or unfair) that “not all Muslims are terrorists, but a considerable number of them are”. This is in light of Book Haram and the tragedy in Paris. I am not saying all or 100% (I know of McVeigh and unabomber and of history like crusades and inquisition). But Islam often hijacked in disproportionate numbers by violent lunatics. Why? I swear it’s an honest question.
While bigotry is never good, I feel like posted line yours (I know it’s ironic) dismiss legitimate fears and ignore the reality of human psychology.
I see that there will be an upcoming two-part ad in the NYtimes urging for Muslims to be more outspoken and visible in owning their religion.
Have a great 2015!
Giulia I meant of course! Mi dispiace!