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On Social Media, Arab World Unites for Dallas and Calls the Incident "Terrorism"

posted on: Jul 11, 2016

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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