NYC-Feature Story-World Trade Center

NYC-1993-01-16b
When he goes through airport customs, Mohamad has three strikes against him: he's young, a Shiite Muslim, and carries a Lebanese passport.

Where's Your Bomb?

By Mohamad Bazzi

Some people imagine it's exciting to be an immigrant. I've learned to shrug them off. I tell them if they think it's so much fun, they should try going through Immigration and Customs inspections at Kennedy Airport-in my shoes.

My Lebanese passport makes airport officials very nervous. Not only am I Lebanese but I'm a Muslim and, even worse, I'm a Shiite. I'm also a young man so they assume the worst: I must be a religious fanatic waiting to blow up a plane.

"Where's that bomb?" they probably ask themselves. "Come on, kid. Don't waste our time."

Last year I was coming back from visiting my brother who lives in Paris when an official saw my documents and pulled me aside. His colleague asked where I had been. "Paris," I said.

"What were you doing there?" he shot back, as if the concept of a Lebanese immigrant vacationing in Paris defied all logic. I explained, but he still seemed skeptical.

"Do you have anything in there that you shouldn't be carrying?" he asked, pointing to the suitcase.

"Like what?" I asked innocently.

"I don't know. You tell me."

"I don't think so," I answered, unsure if it was a trap.

"Well, let's just check," he said, instructing me to open my bags. So unlike most other travelers (especially American passport holders, who were getting a warm welcome home and breezing right through), my bags were rummaged through, once again.

In a way, I felt violated. Why me? Should I get an American passport and change my name from Mohamad to Michael so that I can get through the inspection more quickly?

These INS and Customs agents are America's way of welcoming its immigrants. It doesn't sound as good as your textbooks make it out to be, does it? No Statue of Liberty on the horizon, no fireworks, just lots of questions and dirty looks.

"Think About It":
Prompts for discussion and/or writing:

—Is Mohamad justified in his anger at being searched? Why or why not?

—Have you, like Mohamad, ever been singled out, stopped, or searched because of your appearance? What happened and what impact did this have on you?

—In the wake of the recent attacks on the U.S., should Muslims and Arab-Americans be searched more carefully in airports and other public places? Why or why not? When are these kinds of searches justified and when are they a violation of civil liberties?