The Terror of Isms: A primer on causing terror amongst the terrified (Essay)

Detail from a photo by Adrian Miles, http://www.flickr.com/photos/akhir/3837401203/

Detail from a photo by Adrian Miles, http://www.flickr.com/photos/akhir/3837401203/

If you want to scare the living sh-- out of racist people, there’s a simple way to do it without harming anyone.
 
First, be a middle-aged woman who is (outwardly) Muslim. Dress in all black, taking care to wear some “ethnic” garb from another country that is not America (where all the clothing is made in other countries but is somehow American and therefore okay to wear.)

Wearing a black Hijab, Abaya, Burqa or veil isn’t advised (too obvious) – choose a fabulous Fuschia Hijab to attract more attention – you don’t want to blend in.

Wear a pair of earrings made of Peacock Feathers. These won’t scare anyone but they will be gloriously beautiful and fun to wear.

Have a stylish yet oversized black leather handbag containing various items such as keys, cellphone, pocketbook, money, a small black notebook, pen, bottled water, a banana, your umbrella or any other completely standard items one would find in a woman’s purse. For an even more frightening handbag, add a copy of Al-Qu’ran which you can take out of your purse at random and read quietly to yourself (all terrorists do this, and you don’t want to disappoint the racists).

 Once you’re ready to go, take public transporation such as the bus, train, or subway. That way people will give you plenty of dirty looks when you board, sit down, are riding, and when you disembark.

 Once you arrive at the train station, make sure you buy a bottle of water from the vendor parked outside. He must also be a Muslim – that way other commuters will hear him say “A Salaamu Alaikum, Sister”. They will know that you are a terrorist because you will answer him, “Walaikum A Salaamu Brother, one bottle of water, please?” For added terror, you may also say “Shukran” when he hands you the water.

 When purchasing your ticket, ensure that you have a bit of change left over to leave on the ticket machine in case someone in need comes along. This is obviously not the American way, so you will continue to alert people that you are in fact a terrorist.

 After the train arrives, sit quietly in the empty seat by the door. Be  sure to drink from your water bottle every now & then so people know that you are carrying a suspicious clear liquid.

 If there are enough racist a-holes on the train, especially ones who move seats to get further away from your seat, it is an excellent plan to say anything in Arabic under your breath with your eyes closed. (or even a gibberish-talk that might be mistaken for Arabic by the ignorant, the racist, and the silly). This makes the racists sit on the edge of their seat with fear, because you are so clearly preparing for your Jihad; and since the train is underwater in a tunnel, they will not be escaping the carnage.

 When the train arrives at the other side of the tunnel and doors open to admit new passengers, it is most excellent to make sure the Sikh gentleman with the Turban on boards the train & sits near to your seat. Because now the racists are sure that this train will self-destruct. He is, of course, a terrorist as well.

 After plenty of people have given you both dirty looks, but avert their eyes quickly when you catch them, it’s a wonderful idea a few stops later to have the young Black man with dreadlocks & the Raiders sweatshirt get on the train, see you, and say “A Salaam Alaikum!”. Because then you say “Walaikum A Salaam!” and smile.

 This is obviously code for something because he is a thug and drug dealer, one to feared to be sure, but they know he is not a Muslim, because he doesn’t look like a Muslim. Terrorist? Most likely. (Since they are already in fear of him & the gun(s) he’s obviously carrying, this possibility is very alarming to the racists).

On your walk to your destination after getting off the train (where you’ve most likely left a suspicious package or other tool of your terrorism), it is important to smile & say hello to the impeccably-dressed, flamboyant and proud-to-be-Gay San Francisco man. Not because he smiled & greeted you first, but because he is Gay and Gays are different and therefore definitely terrorists.

A few blocks later, you should stop to talk to the three young Brothers with yellow picket signs protesting outside the non-union CVS pharmacy on behalf of their local workers’ union. They are not only terrorists like you, but also communists. Since terrorism is the new communism, this is doubly-frightening to the older racists because they fear & hate both the communists and the terrorists. A triple-whammy because all the terrorists in all those terrorist countries (some of them in - clutch your pearls – Africa) also do protests and things, with signs in that terrorist writing they use over there; and that’s how they start revolutions. Winning!

I forgot the most important thing about being a big, bad, evil, scary terrorist Muslim lady. You absolutely, positively have to carry the blossom of a beautiful purple flower in your hand the whole time. Walking, on the bus, on the train, walking again, going home on the train, and on the bus. The flower is very important, because terrorists always carry one. Flowers symbolize death and destruction, as you know, so they make the perfect terrorist accessory.

That’s it! Easy, right?

If you remember to do all of these things, you too will terrify the racists with their isms – racism, fascism, etc.. You will be a terrorist, inspiring feelings of intense, overwhelming fear in all (racists) who observe you. It will be totally awesome and all the racists will hate you, which is great because you won’t hate them, fear them, or be under their power.

Walasia Noor EL Shabazz, nee Miranda Jane, was born into the music business and the art form, daughter of renown Jazz bassist and producer, Buell Neidlinger and Jazz drummer, Deborah Fuss.  She's worked in the Hip Hop field since the age of 13, and she is now 37 years old.  She was responsible for A&R work on the MF DOOM/Madlib "Mad Villain" LP fromStonesthrow Records, one of the most successful & critically-acclaimed independent Hip Hop albums in history.  Former west-coast editor of STRESS - NY's Illest Magazine, senior editor & founding member of Complex Magazine, and associate editor of The Source Magazine.  Her freelance writing has been featured in the L.A. Weekly, RIME Magazine, Elemental Magazine, Mass Appeal, TRACE; as well as being translated for foreign-language publications in Spain, Latin America, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK.  Her essays and recipes also appear in the Hood Health Handbook, Volumes 1 and 2. One of the co-founders of the first-ever all-elements celebration of women in Hip Hop - B-Girl Be, in conjunction with filmmaker/director Dr. Rachel Raimist and the Intermedia Arts collective in Minneapolis, MN.  Walasia is the former general manager of Angeles Records, an L.A.-based record label owned by DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, seasoned music executive/MC Aaron "Chace Infinite" Johnson (Self Scientific), and Grammy-award winning producer DJ Khalil (of Self Scientific and Aftermath).  She is the current general manager of Clear Label Media Group and Clear Label Records, an Oakland-based music and media corporation owned by Tajai Massey (of Souls of Mischief and Hieroglyphics.) In her spare time she is a vegetarian/vegan holistic cook & pastry chef with a cookbook, Golden Nutrients, in the works. She makes her home in Oakland, California.

You forgot one more accessory to include an even larger group of The Fearful. I'd suggest you also walk a Pit Bull, preferably a brindle with cropped ears. Prejudice (what you are referring to as racism, which in fact it is not) comes in many forms.

On your next jaunt about town, exchange that flower for a Pit Bull and see how you are treated. And, yes, you can take them on the bus and BART as I have, but they must be muzzled. Talk about carrying locked and loaded weaponry! You should see the eyes of the bus driver and other passengers when I've taken one of my (extremely obedient) dogs to work with me.

Prejudice is everywhere, my sister, and each and everyone of us experiences it every day, no matter your race, sex, age, or religion.

I enjoyed your essay, btw, immensely.

Peace.

Peace. I have a beautiful Blue Nose pitbull - she's with family until I get my own yard again, but when I lived in the Lower Bottoms in West Oakland, she was the flyest accessory ever. We had to constantly stop to be admired by other pitbull enthusiasts who wanted to mate her or buy her from me, or ask questions about her line. Thank you for your kind words.

I carefully chose to use the word racist because in the mind of the person discriminating/judging by preconception - we are all the same. The Black Man with dreads I mentioned, the Sikh, the Muslimah - anyone that person can look at and identify as "other" meaning not like them. That is why the Muslimah wins in the end, she is happy, she is pleased, she loves the Human Race, even the racist.

Congrats on having one of those "extremely rare" (LOL) recessive blue monsters. See, I knew you were cool.

And as far as the definition of racism, I think you mean xenophobic as in the fear of the unknown, strange, or different.

I doubt many who fear the hajib, dreads, or baggy pants can distinguish the difference between Southern Indian and Native Austrailian, or between Koreans and Chinese. They only distinguish "different" as in "Not like me", which is an inherent human bias protecting us from the flicker of a lion's ear in the distance of the African savanah. Fear of the unknown is built into our genes and, IMHO, there is nothing wrong with prejudice. The only wrong in ignoring it exists and not teaching our youth how to manage it in their daily lives.

Since we don't teach our children about race in an effort to ignore racism exists, prejudicial behavior becomes grouped with racism, as you did...then again, as a writer you could have chosen the word to fan some fires?

I am loving this commentary--a) because I agree with AMN about the apt choice of words in Walsia's essay and b) because I love bully breeds. And because all your words are true.