Do you cover all your face but your eyes? You might fit the stereotype of a terrorist!
In a Chicago school’s classroom, Maysam Amanishourbariki (imagine the first time a teacher calls roll with that name!) was embarrassed about a new haircut, and was wearing a hoodie and hat to hide it. As part of a concerted effort to get him to remove the head-coverings, the teacher said that “Amani” “fit the stereotype of a terrorist,” and Amani had no idea how to react. The class burst into laughter, and one kid even walked up to the teacher and gave her a high five. Of course, now the school can expect a lawsuit.
Amani was born in the United States, but because of his Iranian heritage has been the target of some racial discrimination. He’s stated that he’s been called a terrorist at Highland Park HS (in the greater-Chicago area) at least three times, and had to face down students who taunted him. The experience with the teacher was new however, and steamed the youth. His parents were “furious” upon hearing the news, shattering their vision of America as “a place where people from anywhere can come and be successful.”
The teacher apologized weeks later according to Amani, but the administration never gave his parents or himself a satisfactory response. Chicago attorney Tamara Holder is helping the family file a federal complaint for discrimination, defamation, and unspecified damages. Do you think Amani will win? Can they prove lasting damage?
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4 responses so far ↓
1 keith // Jun 15, 2009 at 9:55 pm
im from the bronx never went to the middle east now everywhere i go, i hear comments like i look like a terrorist, people talikng about a queda i look like al queda its hard not to be liked but for a kid to be ostracised by the teacher is to far
2 Ahmad // Jul 4, 2009 at 1:36 pm
in fact the “terror” was came from United states to middle east…
FUCK USA anyway lol
3 TR // Jun 7, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Please feel free to agree or disagree with the following it is just my opinion.
I am from the U.S., by the way.
You may say that my comparison is not quite the same. But I find the teacher’s comment to be insensitive.
Imagine if during World War II, a US teacher said to a first generation European student: take off that hat, it makes you look like one of Hitler’s nazi soldiers.
A lot of people in the US during WWII had unfair negative views of anything European, or anything German during WWII, but it was no reason for people to throw unfair insults at anyone who was European or German.
The same idea applies today people in the US r.who: are Arabs, or are of Arab descent or Muslim religious faith. I feel that the U.S. teacher was impolite and acting crudely by saying that someone with an Arabian sounding name: looked like a terrorist.
To be mild, The U.S. government is at war in the War Afghanistan and in the War in Iraq. And in those wars, the U.S. government and some Arabian people are at war with each other and fight each other.
Although, The U.S. government + soldiers are fighting wars with people in two wars in Arabian lands, I feel that The U.S. people must be thoughtful and polite and not insult innocent: Arab people, people of Arab descent and people who follow the Muslim religion.
4 zhin khan // Jan 13, 2012 at 2:35 am
my favrte pic ever,,,,
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