The United States, in many senses, is supposedly known as one of the most tolerant countries in the world. Diversity is the foundation of this country, and it is worn as a badge of honor by many of us.  While other countries, such as those in Europe, stifle the voices of their ethnic and religious minorities, the US prides itself on its colorful landscape. 

Unfortunately, post 9/11 and, most recently, in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, Arabs have been caught in the crossfire of a raging “War on Terrorism,” that has perpetuated irrational theories of suspicion and fears.

Terrorist attacks in the United States by Islamist extremists, like those mentioned above, have made Arab-Americans easy targets and, sadly, victims of bias and unfair treatment.  This has manifested itself in the form of racial profiling, hate crimes, FBI surveillance and social phobias.

Most recently, in the wake of the tragic Boston Marathon bombings that were committed by so-called Muslim fundamentalists–who are not Arab — through the unorthodox use of pressure-cookers, we now have developed an irrational fear of any Arab/Muslim with a pressure-cooker. 

Although Talal al-Rouki, a young Saudi college student in Michigan, was planning on doing nothing more than practice his customary hospitality and generosity by taking over some homemade food in his pressure-cooker to the home of his neighbor, he was, needless to say, visited by FBI agents a few days later, who questioned him about his act. According to reports, FBI had received a telephone call from a neighbor, claiming that al-Rouki was walking around with a “bullet-colored” pressure-cooker. 

Al-Rouki had actually cooked kabsa, a rice-based traditional Saudi dish, in his pressure-cooker and had planned on sharing it with one of his neighbors. Ironically, the term “kabsa” also means “raid” in Arabic. It is doubtful that this student was expecting to be raided by the FBI for his “lapse in judgment.”  

After being questioned, the agents told the Saudi student to “be careful walking around with such things.”  So, it seems, that now pressure cookers, as in the case of shoes, when the shoe bomber was apprehended, are also considered assault weapons, but only in the hands of a select few.

Although it is understandable that we would experience a heightened sense of awareness so soon after such a tragic event, it remains unfortunate, and rather comical, that this awareness has not stemmed beyond Arabs and Muslims.  The behavior of the FBI agents is no less alarming than that of the individual who contacted them. It is common sense that most cookware is silver-colored. In that regard, the description of the pressure-cooker in question as “bullet-colored,” by the person who called the FBI, sounds just as ridiculous as referring to a lemon as banana-colored. This particular color description (I was not aware that “bullet” is a color) displays a deep conviction by the caller that the pressure-cooker must have been dangerous, because it was owned by an Arab, therefore making it a potential bomb. 

This is not the only incident, involving a pressure cooker and an Arab that has yielded suspicion recently.  On May 13, a Saudi national was arrested at Detroit Metro Airport for having pages ripped from his passport and giving inconsistent answers about the pressure-cooker that he had carried with him in his luggage. 

The Saudi man, who was planning to visit his nephew in Toledo, said that he brought the pressure-cooker from Saudi Arabia, because pressure cookers in the United States are cheap and break easily.

While, without a doubt, the passport issue was the greatest issue at hand, and is something that law enforcement ought to further investigate, the media coverage that made the pressure-cooker a focal point of the story, was unwarranted and further perpetuates a very dangerous stereotype. 

A comment left by a visitor under the story on Channel 4’s website, Clickondetroit.com, begs the question, “If it wasn’t for a bomb, then why the hell not just get one at the corner Meijer, or Kmart?” 

On the same website, which does not take responsibility for the content of readers’ comments, fanatically bigoted statements against Arabs and Muslims ranged from, “water board this lying pile of camel dung,” to “F’ing muzzy’s. They will go to any extreme to kill us all.”

The Saudi man at the airport was undoubtedly questionable, but these comments demonstrate the ignorance that continues to veil the logic of our society.  Unfortunately, it seems that some people are waiting for an incident like this to occur, so as to openly project their zealous hatred for Arabs and Muslims.

We, as Arabs, simply demand equality under a constitution that protects our diversity. The fact that an Arab with a pressure-cooker is feared is just as ludicrous as a fear of vampires.  It is completely unfounded.  Although on another ironic and humorous note, if vampires did in fact exist, Arabs may be hailed as heroes for their heavy use of garlic in Middle Eastern cuisine.  That would surely keep American society safe from any unwarranted vampire invasion.