Dr. Deepa Kumar, an award-winning activist and scholar, is a professor at Rutgers University. On Tuesday, Sept. 13, West Chester University students had the opportunity to listen to her lecture contextualizing the War on Terror and anti-Muslim racism.
The event took place just two days after the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attack, a timely reminder of the effects of the event not only on the victims, but on the Arab community as a whole.
Coining the term “terrorcraft,” Kumar described it as representing the way that the term “terrorism” has formulated to specifically target the Arab community. Emphasizing the importance of the War on Terror she began her speech saying, “[it is] important we have conversations on the War on Terror and it’s legacy… The United States has put trillions of dollars into the war and what have they got in return?”
Dr. Kumar stated that 800,000 people had been killed in the War on Terror, and we have seen little in terms of victory — but, rather, it has led to persistent anti-Muslim prejudice throughout our society today. Dr. Kumar stated that less than one in one million Muslim people plan or act on a terrorist attack, yet many American stereotypes imply that they are often perpetrators.
Kumar mentioned the cost of these portrayals and the large amount of money spent on the War on Terror, despite terrorism not even being on the CDC’s list of leading causes of death. You are more likely to be struck by lightning than killed in a terrorist attack, and much less at the hand of Arabs who are profiled to be terrorists.
This speech led to an important conversation on the effects the War on Terror has had on multi-racial people. Dr. Kumar asked students to Google the word “terrorist” and take note of the results — a majority of the photos were of brown men, many of which were framed with head scarves and assault weaponry.
When asked to describe a terrorist, many students did not reflect the stereotypes that have been prominent against Arab people in the U.S. Dr. Kumar saw this as a sign that students are part of a “new generation,” hopefully implying that people are not falling for the stereotypes that are reflected in much of Hollywood films and other forms of media, which contribute to the American perspective. She explained how our media and culture follow the messages of powerful people, such as the president.
“If after every white supremacist attack, all white people were considered suspicious or dangerous… and people were sent into [communities] to see how [white people] were behaving, it would be absurd,” Kumar remarks in comparison to the current conditions present in Arab communities.
In fact, prior to the 1970s, the stereotypical terrorist did not exist. Dr. Kumar stated, “Hijacking of US planes and kidnapping did occur, but they weren’t called terrorists, they were called rebels.” As a result of many political, economic, and historical factors — both domestic and international — the term “terrorist” developed into a way to profile Muslims overseas and in the U.S. Some of the events she mentions include the Munich Olympics (1972), the Iranian Revolution (1979) and both of the Jonathan Institute Conferences (1979 and 1984).
Professor Tabassum Ruby is an Associate Women and Gender Studies Professor at West Chester University who assisted in organizing the event. On the War on Terror she said, “When endless lives are displaced and lost in the War on Terror and we do not hear about them, we dehumanize them, and this is one of the key ways in which racism works — at home and abroad.”
Kumar’s talk was the first of a four-part series through the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The second event will be taking place in Sykes 115 on Monday, Sept. 19 at 10:00 a.m. During this event, Dr. Robert Kodosky will discuss “American Foreign Policy in the Middle East: A Playbook For Insanity.”
For students who want more information on the costs of war, Dr. Kumar recommends the site https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/.
Seth Arinsberg is a fourth-year Business Management major with a minor in Finance. SA930071@wcupa.edu.
Mia Guerrieri is a first-year English major. MG100876@wcupa.edu.
RJ Jacobson is a fourth-year Political Science major with a minor in Journalism. RJ923931@wcupa.edu.
Lily Perry is a third-year Media and Culture major with a minor in Journalism. LP955347@wcupa.edu.
Olivia Schlinkman is a second-year Political Science with a minor in Spanish.OS969352@wcupa.edu.
Jamie Simonds is a third-year Media and Culture major with minors in Journalism and Digital Marketing. JS928049@wcupa.edu.