Man forced to dance because of his Arabic name

[The Straight Story]

Man forced to dance because of his Arabic name
Thursday, 11th September 2008. 2:28pm

By: Roberto Sanchez Guevara.

Abderrahim Jackson, 31, had to dance in an Israeli airport for having an Arabic name. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre company, landed on Sunday night at the airport in Tel Aviv and Abderrahim Jackson was the only dancer subjected to an interrogation. His name, of Muslim origin, was the only ‘crime’ that he had committed.

It was not enough to show leaflets of the company in which his picture appears. The security services demanded that he needed to dance at the airport. "Then one of them asked me to dance for him... it was really embarrassing but I feared doing something bad which might make me seem suspicious," Mr Jackson told Israeli media. "I explained that my father converted to Islam and therefore gave me that name, but they repeatedly asked me what my father's name is, what my mother's name is and why they gave me this name," said Abderrahim.

"It has already happened to me in the past, when I returned to the US after a trip to the Dominican Republic,” he added. "Security guards interrogated me similarly, and they also asked me to dance. Maybe I need to get used to dancing at airports" But this is not the first time that Israelis express doubts with the arts world. Wisam Tayama, a Palestinian, had to play the violin at a border crossing from the West Bank. Wisam Tayama, a 28-year-old, second year student at the Conservatory of Nablus, was required to interpret a melody in 2004 in the control of Beit Iba, one of the entrances to the city of Nablus.

"When they forced me to play, was an act of humiliation. One of the soldiers, after asking me to reveal what I carried in my suitcase and told him that this was a violin, he asked me to interpret a song. But a sad song," recounted Wisam.

http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=2744

[amitten]

1. It really sounds like those guards just want entertainment.

In a way, it's funny, but sad for the people being put through this.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[amitten]

5. I don't think it's funny in that way.

I think it's funny that the guards are so damned bored.

Read the part at the end, where the musician is asked to play a song, but it has to be a "sad" song.

These guys are looking for a show is what it is.

[firedupdem]

4. Not funny at all to me

My son was headed home from school last semester. His truck was packed with clothes, books, his tv, and other items any normal kid would have in their car after cleaning out a dorm room and was asked if he was a rapper and could he rap. He's 19 and on the highway and has never had a ticket and doesn't look like a thug rapper. I was very fucking pissed about it and didn't find humor at all.

[amitten]

6. That does suck.

But Alvin Ailey is a multi-cultural company and I think this could have happened to any of their dancers with a Muslim name, although it's unfair.

I don't think this was a genuinely racist incident.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[amitten]

13. They are not all-black.

You need to educate yourself.

Alvin Ailey employs dancers of all races. Do a little research and you'll find out.

[Celebration]

3. He must be a great dancer

Very prestigious company...............

[amitten]

7. Yeah, they are fantastic. I've seen them perform. n/t

[slackmaster]

8. The Israelis have good reasons to take unusual, creative security precautions

At least they didn't make him get down on all fours and bark like a dog.

[Bob Dobbs]

10. No, they don't.

Israel is the problem.

[Malikshah]

24. No they do not. Not to that level. And as for making folks bark like a dog

Go check out check points and other such areas.

Barking like a dog is nothing compared to what is done to the indigenous population.

[notadmblnd]

9. he should send them a bill

[Codeine]

11. Was it a HAPPY GIDDY DANCE? nt

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Third time in two days this story has been posted.

at least a few bigots are getting to have some fun, and I don't mean the Israelis.

BTW, for the overtly stupid, the dancer was made to dance because of his name not his race.

[The Straight Story]

15. Well, I hope you were not referring to me :)

And it does say based on name in the title.

[Behind the Aegis]

18. I was not referring to you. :)

"And it does say based on name in the title."

I know...and yet....look at some of the responses.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3958826

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3964824

[The Straight Story]

25. My main reason in posting it:

I can see similar things going on here soon....damn shame what it is all coming down to.

[MadHound]

16. Still, a very heavy handed, biased action to take by the Israelis.

What if you were getting off in Germany and asked to play some klezmer to prove who you are to authorities?

Nobody should be stopped and baselessly hassled anywhere in the world simply based on their name.

[Behind the Aegis]

19. I didn't dispute it was a biased action.

I agree nobody should be harrassed and hassled for no reason, though it does happen more than it should all over the world. My comments were VERY specific.

[MadHound]

17. edit, double post n/t

[Solon]

20. Didn't see the other stories, but basing it on his name seems just as silly...

as basing it on his race, just as bigoted as well.

[Behind the Aegis]

21. I agree it is silly and it is bigoted...

...no more bigoted than some here that use anything, like this, for thier bigotry against Israel and Israelis.

[malaise]

22. The entire Alvin Ailey group should have turned around at the

airport and headed home. There is no need to tolerate acts of humiliation.

[LibertyLover]

23. Israeli border patrol security people can be strange

Bear in mind that my mundane name is roughly as Irish as it gets. At the time of this incident I was 21 years old and in college. My mom and I had been on a 3 week tour of the Middle East. We had visited Egypt and Lebanon and Cyprus prior to going to Israel. At the time that was the dodge you used - Cyprus was considered Europe so by stopping there for a night and then going on to Israel you were not entering from an Arab country. Anyway, we were in Israel roughly a week and then leaving for Turkey. At the airport in Tel Aviv we went through passport control and then on to the security booths. Mom went into one booth and I was motioned into another. Mom got out in something like 2 minutes. 20 minutes later the security person was still going through my carryon. She opened everything, tried out the eyeshadow colors and lipsticks I had in my makeup bag on her hands and lips. She kept making nasty comments about the US, how we were all wealthy and had cars. I didn't personally own a car and neither did most of my friends, and I told her that. Meanwhile my mom is being told by the airline people to get on the bus to go out the plane because it has to take off and mom is saying oh hell no, not without my daughter. The guard did a pat down body search and than made me raise my dress over my head and turn around. I was humiliated. The airline people try to force my mom on the bus and she refused and called me to come. I had had enough of the guard, so I called back that I was coming and walked over to the desk to put my stuff in my carryon. The guard screamed at me to stop and I called to my mom to tell her that the guard was not letting me go. Well, that was enough for my mother - she opened the door to the booth, glared at the guard, told me to come immediately and then got another guard to get her superior, who apparently had been alerted that there was a problem because he appeared almost instantly. There was a sharp exchange of Hebrew and the guard told me that I could leave. But before she let me out of the booth she looked at my passport one last time and noted that I had recently had a birthday. On occasion the gods smile and you manage a great exit line - young as I was at the time, I managed one - "yes", I said, "I did. I was in Cairo for it and it was one of the best birthdays of my life." Exit stage left. Mom and I were the last ones on the plane and had to sit in the very back right up against the lavatories. The guy sitting next to me had a motorcycle engine on his lap and he had it there the entire flight to Istanbul. But, at least we were on the plane.