Is `Middle Eastern` Profiling Ever Justified

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Middle Eastern Profiling

The United States law enforcement agencies have over the years received immense criticism over racial profiling . A simple definition of racial profiling would be the use of the ethnic and racial characteristics as a tool to determine the likelihood of a person to commit a crime . Ethnic minorities have over the years been at the receiving end over their alleged involvement in crime . The existing statistics especially by the American Civil Liberties Union indicates that people of African American

descent are more likely to be stopped by the police over suspicion of committing some crimes compared to other groups . The issue of Blacks being stopped by traffic police has been well documented . In the recent years though , Arabs have joined the fray and have been victims of racial profiling being associated with terrorism . Muslims and indeed individuals of Middle Eastern origin are more likely to undergo rigorous searches at the airport over the suspicions of being terrorists . Whereas racial profiling may be informed by past history , it is not justifiable as it perpetuates systemic discrimination

President George W Bush came out strongly urging Americans not to vent their anger on the Muslims and particularly on the Arabs noting that Islam as a religion represents peace . However , his words were a far cry from the experience on the ground . Suspicions are rife that all people of Middle Eastern origin are up to no good and that they stand as a threat to national...