History Main / MistakenForTerrorist

* In ''HaroldAndKumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay'', we see a [[POVCam POV Shot]] from a little old lady on the plane and Kumar looks like a terrorist - turban, beard, EvilLaugh. Then he lights up a bong in the restroom and people think he's got a stick of dynamite. He even says "it's only a bong" and people mistake him for saying "bomb."

* In an episode of ''{{Chuck}}'' involving Chuck choosing new Intersect agents, one of the candidates looked Middle Eastern and had a large beard, and also happened to be an explosives expert. He signed up to be an Intersect agent because was not happy about being constantly assigned to be TheMole in terrorist organizations and was sick to death of being surrounded by nothing but sand all the time.

* From the first episode of ''LittleMosqueOnThePrairie'' Amaar is talking to his mom over the cellphone at the airport. With this dialogue, it's somewhat understandable they were mistaken:

* An episode of ''{{Wings}}'' had a few of the guys taking a plane for a trip only to end up landing in the middle of a cornfield. At one point Antonio goes exploring the field to look for help and comes back with the farmer behind him... with his hands raised while a shotgun is pointed at him.

* Invoked in {{Crank}}. Chev Chelios gets revenge on an obnoxious taxi driver by dragging him out of his vehicle, then pointing at him and yelling "Al Qaeda!" Everyone in the street immediately dogpiles the man and beats him up.

* Cami from {{Bones}} has freaked out over the suspicion that Arastoo is a terrorist ''twice.'' Despite knowing he has served as a translator for the US Military in Iraq. The first time her fear was a ''little'' understandable, but the second after she supposedly learned her lesson from the first?

* ''AmericanDad'' episode "Homeland Insecurity" when ultra-conservative Stan Smith assumes the new Iranian neighbors are terrorists. He turns his house into a detention camp and putting them inside and also other neighbors too.

* ''TheSimpsons'' episode "Mypods and Boomsticks". Similar to ''South Park's'' "The Snuke", Homer assumes Bart's new Muslim friend (even almost sharing the same name in "The Snuke") and his parents are terrorists.

* ''TheSimpsons'' episode "Mypods and Boomsticks."

* When [[TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja Dr. McNinja]] goes on a plane, people (rightfully) suspect something because he ''keeps his mask on''.

* ''SouthPark'' episode "The Snuke." Were Cartman automatically assumes that a new boy at school is a terrorist because he's Muslim [[spoiler: When in fact it's a Russian working for the british.]]

* From the first episode of ''LittleMosqueOnThePrairie'' Amaar is talking to his mom over the cellphoone at the airport. With this dialogue, it's somewhat understandable they were mistaken:

* ''MyNameIsKhan'' features a main character named Rizwan Khan, a Muslim American with Asperger's Syndrome living in post 9-11 America. He says to another character that he wants to tell the President, and the people, of the United States that his "name is Khan and that [he] is not a terrorist." When he repeats this to himself in a crowd gathered to meet President Bush, he is arrested, imprisoned, and tortured as a terrorist suspect. A FunnyAneurysmMoment occurred when Shahrukh Khan, the world famous actor who played Rizwan (seriously, he's probably the most popular actor in the world) was detained by Immigration offers at Newark Airport on August 14, 2009 and questioned for two hours.

* Cami from [[{{Bones}}]] has freaked out over the suspicion that Arastoo is a terrorist ''twice.'' Despite knowing he has served as a translator for the US Military in Iraq. You know, the first time her fear was a ''little'' understandable, but the second after she supposedly learned her lesson from the first?

* An episode of {{Titus}} had the titular character on a plane with his family after his mother's funeral. Mimicking a [[TruthInTelevision real life epiphany]] Christopher had years earlier, he caused a commotion that worried the other passengers. It didn't help when over-indulgent Dave came out of the bathroom [[UnfortunateImplications with a towel wrapped around his head]] and Tommy on his knees shouting [[strike: "Allah"]] "a la king" (he was correcting a steward's grammer regarding a chicken dish).

Alternately, a character is mistaken for a terrorist while acting suspiciously in an airport or on a plane. Most of the time it's a misunderstanding. Something or other will be MistakenForEvidence (for example, what people think is anthrax will turn out to be cake mix).

Alternately, a character is mistaken for a terrorist while acting suspiciously in an airport or on a plane. Most of the time it's a misunderstanding.

* ''AmericanDad'' episode "Homeland Insecurity" when ultra-conservative Stan Smith assumes the new Iranian neighbors are terrorists. He turns his house into a detention camp and putting them inside and also other neighbors.

* A variation occurs in a ''DorkTower'' strip with a "radical" "extremist" "black panther" named Huey. [[spoiler:He's a white guy wearing a black furry panther costume.]]

* ''WithoutATrace'', "In Extremis." A Saudi Arabian doctor goes missing, and a lot of people automatically assume he's a terrorist. As it turns out, some of his acquaintances are, but he's trying to stop them. He's killed by a FBI sniper at the end of the episode.

* ''SouthPark'' episode "The Snuke."

* A variation occurs in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/12/13/comics-archive-868/ this]] ''DorkTower'' strip with a "radical" "extremist" "black panther" named Huey.
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* There was a ''DegrassiTheNextGeneration'' episode where [[TheLibby Paige]] was harrassing a Muslim girl, even going and telling her to her face "Terrorist chic? ''So'' not in," in reference to her hijab.

Unfortunately, this is TruthInTelevision. A number of people on airline flights have been discriminated against, including being forced off the plane, because the other passengers or pilots panicked and thought they were terrorists just based on their appearance or misunderstood actions. [[DidNotDoTheResearch Sikhs and Orthodox Jews]] have to deal with this too.

* A variation occurs in [[http://www.dorktower.com/2006/12/13/comics-archive-868/ this]] ''DorkTower'' strip with a "militant" "black panther" named Huey.

* Inverted in HarryPotterComics. Three muslims at the Ministry of Magic are left alone by everyone, except one of the villains. However, as it turns out, they ARE terrorists and blow the place up. One of them has a HeelFaceTurn later, though.

Unfortunately, this is TruthInTelevision. A number of people on airline flights have been discriminated against, including being forced off the plane, because the other passengers or pilots panicked and thought they were terrorists just based on their appearance or misunderstood actions. [[DidNotDoTheResearch Sikhs]] have to deal with this too.