Ali, Mohammad, Hussein. Smith, Johnson, Phillips. What’s in a name? Apparently, a lot. A name, which by definition is just a form of address, has come to be a means of identifying, classifying, and pigeonholing. The first three names listed above evoke memories of the war on terrorism, Islamic fanaticism, and 9/11. The second set evokes feelings of being an American, of freedom, and of a history firmly rooted in democracy. Why is this? Is someone named Joseph or Tom less likely to turn to terrorism and murder? Is there just something inherent in certain names that gives them the power to define a person?
Before John McCain walked onstage to a February rally in Cincinnati, the announcer, Bill Cunningham, a talk radio host, pointedly addressed Obama as Barack Hussein Obama three times in an effort to fuel deeply bedded fears of Islam and terrorism within the voting public. McCain then apologized profusely to the Barack camp, saying he in no way condoned what Cunningham did and that any use of the Senator’s middle name was “completely inappropriate”.
There was one thing that was wrong with this picture. Yes, the announcer was wrong for trying to use Obama’s middle name to evoke fears, but isn’t Obama’s full name Barack Hussein Obama? He didn’t just throw that H-bomb in there for shock value, that is a legal part of Obama’s name, so technically, he wasn’t incorrect in addressing Obama that way. Granted, the political motivations behind using the full name were more sinister than just factual accuracy, but that fact that McCain felt the need to apologize and the fact that the Obama camp accepted the apology as a victory alludes to a much greater crisis. Obama’s PR team is constantly scrambling to cover up the fact that he shares a common name with Saddam Hussein and conservative proponents are constantly scrambling to remind America that he does. Eight years after 9/11, fear-based politics reminiscent of the McCarthy era still rule and all it takes is a name to send Americans screaming for the hills.
In other parts of the world, Hussein is just a name, not a word that induces fear and loathing. It doesn’t carry a negative meaning and it’s as common as the name John or Steven.
“Things like this don’t happen in India. The name is everywhere and doesn’t have any negative characterizations,” said Husain Rangwala, a USC graduate student majoring in electrical engineering.
In a better, different America where 9/11 or the war on terror had never happened, the fact that Cunningham mentioned Obama’s middle name wouldn’t have any effect as a scare tactic and McCain wouldn’t feel the need to apologize for dropping the deadly H-bomb. The Obama camp would be able to embrace Obama’s full name instead of working furiously to bury all references to it.
The fear of the name Hussein is about much more than just the negative connotations it has with terrorism and 9/11, it is a manifestation of a tendency to “other” people in our society.
Eliz Sanasarian is a political science professor at USC who grew up with the multiple identifications of Muslim, Iranian, Italian, and Armenian. She says it is much easier for Americans to just label and go about their business.
“Americans just like to put you in a box because they don’t have the time to really know you. They just look at you and say you are Muslim, you are Arab, you are Mexican. It is effortless and doesn’t require thinking. They brand you like cattle and move on,” said Sanasarian.
Hussein is an Arab first name affiliated with Islam, a world that Americans apprehend and connect with terrorism. The bigotry fueling this mentality becomes blatant when you replace Hussein with a name like Joseph or Timothy. If Barack’s middle name was Joseph, would people jump to call him a communist, saying he was connected with the ideals of Joseph Stalin? If his middle name was Timothy, would people accuse him of being a terrorist capable of killing countless innocent people like Timothy McVeigh did in the Oklahoma City bombings? No, because “othering” only works on those who have fundamental differences from the majority, whether it’s race or religion. This reflects a lingering Anglo-centrism in mainstream society and it has chosen this history-making election to rear its ugly head.
The way the Obama campaign should combat this Anglo-centrism isn’t by burying the notorious middle name in the sand or by crying foul at enemies who use it, but by embracing the name. Yes, Obama has a Muslim heritage and yes, Hussein is an Arab name that spread with the growth of Islam. No, that doesn’t affect his ability to govern and no, that doesn’t mean he’s associated with terrorism. If he is the candidate who represents change and progress, let it begin with the simple of act of not hiding his name. Obama went by Barry in high school before he embraced Barack and now history seems to be repeating itself with the omission of his middle name from this campaign. Obama’s appeal is crossing racial lines despite this.
“It doesn’t matter because Obama has done such an amazing job of painting himself as human as opposed to black or of Muslim heritage. That’s how he has been running his campaign, otherwise, he wouldn’t have very much support,” said Sanasarian.
Log on to Facebook, type Hussein in the search engine on the right and look at the search results. For the three pages or so, you’ll see people with the first or middle name Hussein who look as though they are actually of Arab descent, but as you move further down, you begin to see the middle name Hussein with people that don’t seem to be Middle-Eastern. People with Caucasian or Asian or Hispanic names who are putting Hussein as their middle name. Obama supporters are changing their middle names to Hussein to show solidarity with their candidate and show how they embrace Obama’s heritage. With just a few clicks, the younger generation has managed to do what neither political camp could.
What’s in a name? Everything—and sometimes, nothing at all.
