On Social Media, Arab World Unites for Dallas and Calls the Incident "Terrorism"
By Adam Taylor
The NWashington Post
The shootings in Dallas are just the latest backdrop for global discussions about race relations, guns and law enforcement in the United States. Some of the strongest views have come from the Arab world, where many view America’s struggles through the lens of religion and debates over how to define terrorism.
Immediately after the shooting, the hashtag #دالاس — “Dallas” in Arabic — was shared on Twitter and quickly took off in many Arabic-speaking countries across the Middle East. The hashtag was attached to a wide variety of messages, including many expressing sympathy for the dead.
One common theme, however, is to ask why the attack in Dallas was not being described by officials as terrorism.
Dear Obama sorry for what happened in #Dallas quick Q. can we call this “terrorist” or the definition only exclusive in Middle East? #دالاس
— Nasser Aldossery (@ItsNass92) July 8, 2016
It’s time to know who holds peace and who holds terrorism . #دالاس https://t.co/MEQR3n7cfz
— #عنصر مضاد (@Mohamd_alshlwy) July 8, 2016
4 officers dead and 7 injured, but this still isn’t terrorism is it? It’s only terrorism when he’s a Muslim. #Dallas #دالاس
— خالد بن جابر (@KJaberovic) July 8, 2016
Others also criticized the behavior of American police officers. Many shared a picture of Alton Sterling, a man who was shot in the chest by police during an incident in Baton Rouge last week.
If you don’t have the mental stability and physical capability to arrest someone without shooting, you shouldn’t be a police officer? #دالاس
— Faisal alzahrani (@f_alkanani) July 8, 2016
Another hashtag, #اخي_الاسود_انا_احبك (which roughly translates as “I love my black brother”) was also shared widely and topped the trending lists in a number of Arab nations.
#دالاس
There is no racism in islam pic.twitter.com/r8u7O8dwAq— Rahma Salah (@RahmaElarabi) July 8, 2016
In Islam there is no difference
#اخي_الاسود_انا_احبك pic.twitter.com/1l4D0ruHMI
— مُ الزهراني . (@Illm14) July 8, 2016
لون البشره من خلقة ربي . وكل مايخلقه ربي جميل ❤️ #اخي_الاسود_انا_احبك
— ببوشا | طارق الحربي (@6ar8o) July 8, 2016
However, some users suggested that the use of these hashtags was hypocritical and condescending. Some took aim at social media users in Saudi Arabia, where the hashtag was especially popular, arguing that that country had its own problems with racism and discrimination based on ethnic and tribal roots.
Come on Saudi People are you serious?! we are one of the biggest sources of Racism!
— Ahmad Ghazi B (@AhmadGhaziB) July 8, 2016
People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones #العنصريه_في_امريكا
— فَز (@FzixBin) July 8, 2016
Thats the most racist hashtag ever #اخي_الاسود_انا_احبك
— ∞ (@Noone_abdalrhim) July 8, 2016
The vast and varied response to the Dallas shootings from Arabic-speaking Internet users seemed to show how some Muslim users in the Middle East felt their religion and countries had been unfairly portrayed in the United States.
Of particular note is the timing. The Dallas attacks come less than a month after Omar Mateen, an American raised under the Islamic faith, shot dead scores of people in a popular gay nightclub in Orlando. That attack was swiftly labeled “domestic terrorism.” Before he was killed, Mateen had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State organization during calls to police during their standoff. However, in the aftermath of the nightclub shooting, questions have been raised about the extent of Mateen’s links to the Islamic State.
Dallas has a sizable Muslim community that has faced pressure in the past due to perceived links to terrorism. Earlier this year, armed anti-Muslim protesters, many of whom wore masks, demonstrated outside a mosque in the city. In a Dallas suburb in May, two assailants were shot and killed by police outside an exhibit of prophet Muhammed images. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but it remains unclear whether the militant group had a direct role.
source: washingtonpost.com