There are many President Donald Trump’s protests and abusive tactics against the government. But will he instruct his administration not to repeat abuse of these forces? Trump spokesman Alex Pfeiffer has argued that FBI director candidate Kash Patel will “end the weaponization of law enforcement” and “target crimes.” I don’t think this is likely. Patel’s statement suggests that rather than ending such practices, the Trump administration will only increase persecution and attacks of both criminal and civilians against those perceived as political opposition. It’s.
For those wondering how governments that support grasping justice and legality will unfold weaponized law enforcement, unfounded investigations and political retaliation against people with different perspectives. , there is much to learn from the experiences of American Muslims.
For us, it’s the same old story.
Since 9/11, a wide range of US-based Muslim organizations have been targeted by law enforcement in the fight against terrorism. The campaign included well-known investigations, asset attacks and public accusations. A staff member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that the charity blocked the faith in a 2009 report, “According to staff on the 9/11 committee, Treasury officials have confirmed this since 9/11. “He reported. The initial designation was so weak that “and if you rush to designate charity after 9/11, “a high level of misdesignation could allow for consequences (ed).” “Many other groups, including the American Council on Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in the United States, have been smashed out likewise. The results of these smears continue to this day.
For example, consider Cair. You are a politically opinionated American Muslim, and you are under government scrutiny, especially on issues affecting civil rights or marginalized minorities. By 2011, then General Eric Holder concluded that “facts and laws” did not support legal action against Cair. The Bush administration has come to the same conclusion before. However, despite the facts and laws, Internet warriors argued that the decision was due to political interference. One of the prosecutions, U.S. Attorney James Jacks, later released a statement addressing the allegations, saying, “Whether or not you are prosecuting a lawsuit is based on evidence and an analysis of the law. In this case, That’s what happened to me.”
Still, the labels and rumors continue. Be prepared. This is a good chance you will face under Trump 2.0, along with those who have publicly expressed their opinions and stand against the government’s position. fact? Law? This is not the case. Same old story: disinformation that helps with political agendas. It will make your allies hesitate to come to your defense. That will make donors nervous. It interferes with the ability to advance charitable causes.
For American Muslims, analysts identified the various motives behind these attacks, many of which were unrelated to “public safety.”
Following 9/11, the US government was under strong pressure to prevent further attacks. By prosecuting or investigating Muslim organizations, officials were able to promote the narrative of aggressive fighting domestic terrorism.
Anti-Muslim racism led to the perception that Muslim organizations were inherently suspicious, rather than evidence of criminal activity. Recently, Elon Musk, owner of billionaires X heading to Trump’s newly-created government efficiency office, has used his social media platform to perpetuate the story of a Moustache-Twisting Muslim villain.
Since 9/11, US government agencies have been entitled to increased funding and expanded authority to implement counter-terrorism programs aimed at Muslims, even though these programs are based on stereotypes and unfounded science. It has been repeatedly rewarded and has contributed nothing to public safety. The NYPD Muslim Surveillance and Mapping Program has now reached zero prosecution. The Obama administration’s counter’s violent extremism (CVE) program has produced suspicious indicators, including the idea that growing or shaving your own beard could be a sign of malicious intent . Meanwhile, concerns about the threat posed by ideological extremists such as white supremacists have been downplayed.
In 2009, reports by the Extremism and Extremism sector in the Land Environmental Threat Analysis sector warned of rising threats from white supremacists and violent rebel groups. The council torched it. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied the report. The DHS analyst behind it left his job. His team has been disbanded.
By 2011, journalist R Jeffrey Smith noted that “40 analysts” were focusing on al-Qaeda and its ideological allies. In contrast, in 2012, wired journalist Spencer Ackerman reported that DHS only had a single analyst tasked with pursuing all forms of domestic non-Islamic extremism. In 2017, the Government’s Accountability Office reported that 62 of the 85 extremist terrorist incidents since 9/11 were carried out by white nationalists.
Through this government overreach, American Muslims have learned harsh lessons. When the powerful want to target you, there’s little you can do to stop it. Covering or underestimating the oppressor is not a viable strategy. But there are steps you can take. Refusing to prioritize serving your community, develop resilience, change who will please those in power, strengthen legal preparation, and build the ability to communicate directly with the American people I will. It’s a difficult road, but the move to defend justice will ultimately thank you.
The views expressed in this article are the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
