An innocent trip abroad
I love to travel. When I visited Abu Dhabi, I explored the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. A mosque is a place where Muslims go to worship. The Grand Mosque is one of the most beautiful, majestic structures I have ever seen.
There are certain rules and dress codes when you visit a mosque. For example, women must hide their hair. Thus, I brought a black scarf to cover myself. Otherwise, I would have been denied entry.
I also enjoy taking pictures, with a touch of creativity. Being in such an exotic location with customs so different than my own, I was inspired to play. When I photographed myself, I decided to add a bit of mystery to my picture and went beyond the hair covering. The picture I posted as my Facebook profile was an innocent depiction of culture mixed with art. Or so I thought…
Facebook jail
Within seconds of uploading my profile picture to Facebook, I received a message saying, “Notice: This photo is no longer available.” Additionally, my picture was not in my photo album. Just like that, my carefully chosen photo vanished into thin air.
Ironically, I could still comment on the image that had disappeared. I asked Facebook, ‘Did you ban this picture of me at a mosque in Abu Dhabi?” Of course, I never received a response.
I kept checking my Facebook page and refreshing my computer, as well as my iPhone. Nothing happened. No picture. No comment from Facebook. I was shocked.
I wondered why Facebook would remove a tourist photo? If you look at my Facebook page, I am obviously an American who loves to travel and immerse myself in various cultures.
Did they flag me for suspicion of terrorism? Was I put in Facebook jail because of my dark skin? Did Facebook punish me for looking Middle Eastern? How could they remove my picture within seconds because I was wearing a black scarf over my hair… well, and an eye?
Being temporarily placed in Facebook jail gave me a lot to think about. On the one hand, Facebook has some great technology in place to identify suspicious-looking individuals. On the other hand, I was profiled based upon my dark skin and attire.
Privileged and conflicted
I realized how privileged I am. Never in my life have I been racially profiled based on my skin tone and clothing. My heart slumped with remorse for all the people who are targeted unnecessarily.
I wondered if I was being flagged with homeland security because of a picture I took while traveling abroad. Was I now on a watchlist? Would I be questioned any time I stepped foot in an airport?
There was the other side of me that was amazed by the efficiency of technology. I felt safe knowing social media outlets have the ability to flag someone who appears to be suspicious. But then, why remove the photo? Why not investigate me?
Would Facebook delete my picture, permanently? Or, would they add it back after review? Did I open myself up to a government investigation for traveling and following foreign customs? Or, would Facebook realize my picture was an innocent depiction of my trip abroad?
The experience left me conflicted. On one hand, the power of technology to identify potentially dangerous people operates at laser-speed. This made me feel safe, especially remembering 9/11 and the Boston Marathon bombers. However, all I was doing was taking the customary garb of a Middle Eastern country and heightening its allure. There was nothing sinister or threatening about my picture.
Eventually, Facebook made my picture visible again. The experience made me realize how privileged I am. There are many people who are profiled, daily. I experienced this once, and I did not like the feeling. I cannot begin to fathom being subjected to this treatment daily.
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Previously published on “Equality Includes You”, a Medium publication.
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Photo credit: Barefoot Communications on Unsplash