ASIAN INDIAN MUSLIM NEGOTIATING FOR IDENTITY IN THE POST “SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH” AS DEPICTED IN THE FILM MY NAME IS KHAN

Fajriani, Prof. Dr. C. Soebakdi Soemanto, , S.U.

2013 | Tesis | S2 Pengkajian Amerika

Masalah identitas Asia India Muslim setelah tragedi “Sebelas September” di Amerika seperti yang digambarkan dalam film My Name is Khan adalah sebuah topik yang sangat penting untuk di diskusikan. Oleh karena itu, tesis ini merupakan upaya untuk mengupas masalah identitas Muslim dan bagaimana Muslim menegosiasi identitas mereka sebagai Muslim yang harus menghadapi anti Muslim rasisme dari orang-orang Amerika. Film ini bertema rasisme dalam konteks rasial riwayat Muslim. Untuk mencapai tujuan penelitian, tesis ini menerapkan teori dari Kant yang disebut “ras umat manusia”, bahwa orang dapat dibedakan sesuai dengan warisan sifat fisiknya. Dalam menggambarkan perbedaan ras berdasarkan agama dalam konteks sifat fisik berkaitan dengan memberi label riwayat rasial Muslim dan stereotipe mereka sebagai teroris. Sejak peristiwa “Sebelas September”, Muslim dicurigai sebagai teroris dan harus bertanggung jawab atas tragedi tesebut. Data utama yang digunakan dalam penelitian diambil dari film My Name is Khan. Data pendukung diperoleh dari sumber lain seperti buku-buku, essay, journal, artikel, dan beberapa data dari internet yang berkaitan dengan konteks penelitian ini. Selain itu, data lain diperoleh dengan mengamati film dan engulangi observasi beberapa kali serta mencatat scene yang menarik, penggambaran karakter, perkembangan pemeran film dan aspek lain yang ses ai dengan pembahasan dalam penelitian ini. Hal menarik yang ditemukan dalam analisa tentang identitas Muslim Asia India di Amerika setelah tragedi “Sebelas September” yang igambarkan dalam film bahwa, komunitas Muslim Amerika terjepit oleh efek dari peristiwa tersebut dan harus menghadapi gerakan anti Muslim, Islamophobia yaitu diskriminasi dan prasangka, kebencian rasial, dan juga kekerasan. Kemunculan Islamophobia dan reaksi negatif dari masyarakat Amerika terkait peristiwa “Sebelas September” telah mengubah image positif masyarakat multikultural Amerika. Oleh karena itu, untuk meminimalisir pengaruh yang kuat dari Islamophobia, Muslim Asia India Amerika menjalani proses negosiasi identitas mereka sebagai Muslim melalui cara seperti ketegasan dalam keyakinan, menunjukkan kebenaran Islam dan berpartisipasi dalam kegiatan sosial. Sesuai dengan itu, Muslim Amerika dapat meminimalisir kecurigaan atas identitas mereka sehingga orang-orang Amerika tidak menganggap mereka sebagai ancaman apalagi musuh melainkan sebagai manusia yang berhak dihargaikarena kemanusiaannya dan bukan karena identitas mereka sebagai Muslim.

The problem of identity of Asian Indian Muslim post “September Eleventh” in the United States of America which is depicted in the film My Name is Khan is a valuable topic to discuss. Hence, this thesis is an attempt to examine the problem of Muslim identity and how they negotiate their identity as Muslim whereas they have to face anti Muslim racism by Americans. The film has the theme of racism in the context of Muslim racial profiling. Therefore to accomplish the objectives, this thesis applies Kant’s theory called as “races of mankind” that is, people are distinguishable according to their inherited physical attributes. In this term illustrated the acialized of religion in the context of physical attributes related to labeling of Muslim racial profiling and stereotypes as terrorist. Since “September Eleventh”, Muslim suspected as terrorist and has to responsible for the tragedy. The main data used in this research is taken from the film My Name is Khan. The supporting data are taken from other sources such as some critical books, essays, journal, articles, and some data from the internet (international network) related to the context of this research. Moreover, the needed data is conduct by watched the movie and repeated the observation again and again as well as took some notes on the striking scene, portrayal of characters, development of aracterization and many other aspects that appropriate to the discussion of this research. The interesting fact found in the analysis of the Asian Indian Muslim identity in the United States America in the post “September Eleventh” as depicted in the film is that, the Muslim Americans community was particularly impacted by the attacks and has had to face growing Islamophobia including discrimination and prejudice, racial hatred, as well as violence. Rising Islamophobia and the negative reaction of American society to “September Eleventh” have led to changing definitions of the good multicultural society in the United States of America. Therefore, to decrease the impact of Islamophobia, Asian Indian Muslim Americans undergo the process of negotiation for their identity as Muslim through the way such as assertiveness in faith, showing the truth of Islam and participate in social activity. Accordingly, Americans Muslim can reduce the suspicions of their identity until Americans do not assume them as threat even less as enemy but rather as human being that have right to be appreciated because of their humanity and not because of their identity as Muslim.

Kata Kunci : Negosiasi, identitas Muslim Asia India, Sebelas September, Riwayat Rasial Muslim.