The Ports Controversy: If it exists, where does xenophobia slip into it? [View All]

[Hatalles]

As a Muslim American, I’m particularly sensitive to what I perceive as a growing Islamophobic atmosphere in the country I was born and raised in.

With that said, I am against this port deal with the UAE; however, I am also adamantly opposed to handing over our ports to ANY foreign entity. I believe this is the position most DUers have already taken on the matter.

What is the problem then?

It’s a framing issue. My only concern is that some on the left are feeding this xenophobic atmosphere by inadvertently using Islamophobia as a lever to jolt Bush’s base and potentially swing some of them over into the Democratic camp.

I do not understand why this issue cannot be framed in such a way where we do not single out Arabs or Muslims. Instead, why can’t we clearly demand that NO foreign entity should be in charge of our ports—that US ports should be in US hands? IMHO, by framing the issue this way, Democrats retain the reputation of being strong on security and pro-domestic labor, but more importantly, we do not succumb to the same hate mongering lows of much of the right-wing—we do not perpetuate the ugly xenophobic atmosphere. By framing it this way, it also becomes an issue that lasts—after this UAE story has passed, there will still be other foreign countries in possession of US ports. If we take the holistic point of view, we remain on top of the issue.

I’m not accusing those liberals opposing this deal of being racists (though it is a fact of life that there are always outright racists in every group); hell, I’m against this deal and I am no self-hating xenophobe. But how much better are we than the bigots, if we are gaining the political upper hand on security issues by unwittingly benefiting off of their prejudice to tip the scales in our favor and away from Bush?

Yes, to some degree, it is amusing to see the tables turned on the Bush Administration—them being the ones (along with Al Qaeda and their ilk) who played the largest part in nurturing the Islamophobic atmosphere that exists today; however, I believe we on the left are only sustaining these harmful sentiments if we continue to center the issue solely around possession of US ports by predominantly Arab or Muslim nations.

I think this is an angle on the controversy worth looking into. Self-criticism is something that is difficult for anyone to engage in but I believe we liberals have a stronger stomach for it than most and are more willing to admit our missteps than say, the Bushies. :)