George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake. Over the past months, these names have dominated headlines as our country is finally calling attention to the systematic racism so deeply embedded in American culture, and especially in law enforcement. With this in mind, I started reading Kamila Shamsie's Home Fire, and I was immediately struck by this opening scene in the Heathrow Airport.
On the first page, the author writes, "“She’d made sure not to pack anything that would invite comment or questions—no Quran, no family pictures, no books on her area of academic interest” (Shamsie 1). As I read this sentence, I just thought about how different my own experiences have been. At the airport, I have been nervous that I accidentally brought something that may have caused a problem, but the thought never crossed my mind that I would be interrogated for hours. I once got pulled over by a police officer (well I didn't, but that's beside the point), and while I pulled out my license and registration, my concern was how my parents would ground me into the Stone Age if I got a ticket. Never once did I think that my life was in any danger or that anything worse than a fine would happen.
I think what really hit me was the sentence, "“The official was doing that thing that she’d encountered before in security personnel” (Shamsie 3). I wrote, "Wow. It's really sad that this has happened before." As tragic as one of these horrible encounters is, it seems almost unthinkable to me that this would happen with such regularity that Isma has seen the same strategies in use over and over again. Connecting this to a theme, I think this situation is an example of the loyalty dilemma seen so far. Isma, as a Muslim, has to go this extra mile to show her own loyalty to her country. She must forfeit some of her loyalty to her faith or family (not bringing the Quran, family pictures, etc.) in order to appear more loyal to Britain. This can be seen later when she tells the police about Parvaiz, leading to his arrest. As the book continues, I think this theme of loyalty will be especially important and something to look out for.
The opening scene at the airport is really powerful, and like you, I drew connections to the black experience in America as well. Black children are often given a talk about what to do when pulled over by a police officer: don't make sudden movements, keep your hands on the dashboard, obey the officer's orders. These talks can be given to kids as young as 7 years old. Isma's flashback to practicing with her sister reminded me of those types of conversations. It's such a privilege for us to not have to worry for our lives.
ReplyDeleteThese are really excellent connections you are both making to current events, which show how the supremacy of whiteness causes harm in so many ways to people of color.
ReplyDelete