Transportation Security Administration
Terrorist Guide Set
The Terrorist Profile: A Practical Field Guide for Identifying Terrorists
The Terrorist Profile: A Practical Field Guide for Identifying Terrorists is a manual that will be distributed to TSA officers. This handbook is intended to aid TSA officers in the event that they encounter Muslim passengers.
The introductory gatefold of thehandbook is a commentary on“unveiling” the imagined threat of Muslim violence. Additionally, its aesthetics and whimsy help make the handbook more interactive and engaging for the reader.
The images in this book functionto expose racialized, stereotypical representations of Muslims existing in the collective American imagination. I chose images that would reinforce a sinister, mysterious, comical and homogenous conception of the potential Muslim terrorist. Furthermore, the language I employ in the book is also a satirical representation of the semantic construction of the Muslim figure as threatening, untrustworthy, duplicitous, violent,and wholly un-American.
The overlays are designed to be humorous and incite discussion about the imagined threat of Muslim violence especially inrelation to air travel. The transparencies help create a more interactive layout for the viewer.
These symbols were developedand designed for the Transportation Security Administration.The symbols feature stereotypical physical displays of theso-called “common Muslim.”These symbols will be applied to signage which will preemptively direct the flow of Muslim travelers to alternative spaces to speed up security processing for travelers with no such cultural signifiers.
Signage will direct the flow of all Muslim travelers to alternative spaces to speed up processing for travelers who do not fit the Terrorist Profile.
All passengers that fit the terrorist profile will be directed to designated areas where additional security checks will be administered. Signage will direct female passengers to special burka screening rooms where they will be asked to remove their veils.
All passengers that fit the terrorist profile will be directed to designated areas where additional security checks will be administered. Signage will direct female passengers to special burka screening rooms where they will be asked to remove their veils.
