Securitized Citizens by Baljit Nagra

Author:Baljit Nagra
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

The reasoning behind this compliance is complex. One is the fear of being detained or interrogated further by speaking out. The fear of missing flights or being refused entry into another country also plays a role. Dawoud says: “I’ve always complied. Because I always have to travel, you know. Turning back would have resulted in personal or economic consequences.”

Furthermore, a few interviewees feel that security personnel are provoking them to speak out to “justify pulling us over.” They believe that by complying they are not likely to be further interrogated.

For some interviewees, the extra searches have become routine practice; in their view, complaining would only prolong the experience. Leela says, “I just go with the flow. Like what are you going to do, argue with them every time?” Others mention that they would like to complain, but they do not know how to do so. Fahad notes, “I haven’t actually complained, and my brother also has not, because there is nobody to call and complain to. I don’t know who I’d complain to, and I don’t think it would change anything.”

In short, although their citizenship rights are undermined at airports and border crossings, a myriad factors force Muslims to comply with mistreatment rather than speak out against it. The fear of being detained, potentially being refused entry into the countries they are travelling to, not knowing who to complain to, all work to silence them. The fear that they will be further stigmatized for voicing their objections to state surveillance practices also point to the lack of political citizenship that Muslims have in Western nations. Hage (1998) comments those that have real political citizenship (often whites) can question state practices and still be considered a part of the political landscape. Muslims increasingly don’t have access to political citizenship and, as a result, fear that any questioning of state surveillance procedures will mark them as disloyal citizens who are hiding something.

Foucault (1980) has argued that those are under surveillance can often begin regulating their own behaviour in order to avoid suspicion. For example, he writes:

There is no need for armed, physical violence, material constraints. Just a gaze. An inspecting gaze, a gaze which each individual under its weight will end by interiorising to the point that he is his own overseer, each individual thus exercising this surveillance over and against, himself. (155)

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