A week ago today, I arrived to Chicago O’hare International
airport after an exhausting 13:30 hour flight from Doha where I had a layover
after a 4 hour flight from Beirut. Needless to say I was exhausted and ready to
finally my board my last flight home to Buffalo, NY. Due to security measures
in order to board my last connecting flight I had to re-check my bags and go
through security again. By the time I
went through immigration, waited for my bags, rechecked them and stood in a
mile long security line, I only had 40min to my next flight. I was very happy
to see they were not using the body scanners in the line I was in and after
removing my coat, belt, and boots I walked triumphantly thought the metal
detector, happily pleased that of course it did not beep only to be told I needed to step aside—
“Ma’am we need to pat down your head
ware, wait here.” 20 minutes left until my flight leaves. “FEMALE ASSIST” he
starts shouting. 10min left. Sir, I’m
going to miss my flight, you can pat my head I don’t care. FEMALE ASSIST. “Final
boarding for flight ____ to Buffalo” was heard over the intercom. Finally a woman
arrives and after she patted my head. I hear my name being called on the speakers—I
make it just in the nick of time—I literally see them swinging the gate
shut. This unnecessary frisk of my “headware”
is a new thing for me. I vaguely remember it happening the last time I entered
the US in August. My mom and aunt, however, told me that this is a routine occurrence
for them at airports.
It did remind me, however, of my visits to Colnbrook
Immigration Removal Center (IRC) near Heathrow Airport in London, United Kingdom.
IRC is a nice politically correct way to describe a prison for asylum seekers as
their cases and/or removal can be processed. People can spend any where from
weeks to years there (the man I was visiting had already been in detention for
10 months). I was visiting as a volunteer for SOAS Detainee Support, a student
led organization to support and visit asylum seekers in detention. I would try
to visit once a week and without fail every single time they asked me to remove
my headscarf during their pat-down. Occasionally I resisted saying that I at
least did not need to remove the under-piece (a wide cotton fabric headband I
wear under the hijab) but they told me I had no choice and it’s part of their
rules. At times they even made an issue of the tiny pin I had to tie my scarf
all together. Once, however, as I asked my usual question as to why I had to
remove my scarf, I got a more thorough explanation. The female officer
responded, “well, then how can we be
sure it is your hair under there?!” Never mind I already went though a metal detector
and she already patted my head under the scarf. I could not believe the ridiculousness
of her statement that I responded smartly, “You don’t need to see my hair to
know it’s under there. Would you like me to remove my trousers to see if I have
legs under there? How about my shirt to be sure it’s really my stomach under
there? “ Surprisingly she broke with the
rules and told me I can keep it on. After having to remove my headscarf dozens
of times this felt like a mini triumph. Logic finally won in the right
direction. It could have had opposite effect whereby she then asked me to strip
naked as well, an even bigger and more humiliating problematic security measure.
These kinds of security “precautions” or procedures do not
make us safer whether it be at airports, borders, detention centers and even
prisons. Instead, they institutionalize a police state mentality whereby
people are GUILTY until proven innocent. It’s all part and parcel of this fear
mongering where we are taught to even see our peers and neighbors as potential
threats. While one may feel some comfort at that veiled woman getting an extra
pat down, know that it is the most obvious sign of diminishing or rather non-existent
democracy in the United States and/or Britain. As a society we have quietly and
slowly accepted a complete suspension of our constitutional rights at the
borders and other ports. It is only a matter of time before this extends into
our very own homes (and I would argue it already has).
