What America’s Muslims can teach you about resisting political oppression | Islamophobia

President Donald Trump’s Outcries Against Government overreach and abusive tactics are numerous. But will he instructive his administration not to repeat these power abuses? Trump’s Spokesman, Alex Pfeiffer, has asserted that FBI Director Nominee Kash Patel will “end the weaponization of law enforcement” and “target crime”. I find this unlikely. Patel’s statements suggest that, rather than ending such practices, the Trump Administration will only increase persecution and attacks, both criminal and civil, on those perceived as political opposition.

For those wondering how an administration that favors headline-grabbing over justice and lawfulness might deploy weaponized law enforcement, baseless investigations, and political retaliation against those with diffing viewpoints, there is much to be learned from the experience of America’s muslims.

For us, it is the same old story.

After 9/11, A Broad Range of Muslim Organizations Based in the US Were Targeted by Law Enforcement under the Pretext of Combating Terrorism. This campaign involved High-Profile Investigations, Asset Seizures, and Public Accusations. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) staff, in their 2009 Report Blocking Faith, Freezing Charity, Reported That “ACCOUSING TO THE 9/11 COMMISSION STAFF, BEANSURY OFFICIALS ACTNOWLEDED THAT IN THE POST-9/11 PERIOD, ‘Some of the evidentiary fundacys For the Early Designations were quite weak, ‘and that the haste to designate charities after 9/11′ Might [have] result[ed] in A High Level of False Designations’. ” Many other groups, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (Cair), the largest muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the US, where I work, were simarly smeared. The consequences of these smears persist to this day.

Take Cair, for Example. If you are a muslim in the us with political opinions, particularly on civil rights or issues affecting marginalized minorities, you have been subjected to government scrutiny. By 2011, then-torney general eric holder concluded that “the facts and the law” did not support any legal action against Cair. The Bush Administration had reached the same conclusion earlier. Undetered by facts or law, however, internet Warriors claimed the decision was due to political interference. US Attorney James Jacks, A Key Figures in One Prosecution, Later issued a statement addressing these allegations, saying, “The decision to indict or not indict a case is based upon an analysis of the evidence and the law. That’s what happened in this case. ”

Still, the labels and rumors persist. Be prepared, as this is likely what you – alongside anyone publicly expressing a discourse opinion or standing opposition to a government position – will face under Trump 2.0. Facts? Law? Not in this case. The Same Old Story: Disinformation Serving Political Agendas. It will make your allies hesitant to come to your defense. It will make donors nervous. It will obstruct your ability to advance charitable causes.

In the case of American Muslims, analysts have identified various motivations behind these attacks, many of which were unrelated to “public safety”.

Following 9/11, The US Government was under intense pressure to prevent further attacks. Prosecuting or Investigating Muslim Organizations allowed officials to promote a narrative of actively combating domestic terrorism.

Anti-Muslim Racism, rather than evidence of criminal activity, led to the perception that muslim organizations were inherently suspicious. Recently, Elon Musk, Billionaire x Owner Heading Trump’s Newly Minted Department of Government Efficiency, has used his social media platform to perpetuate a narrative of moustache-twaging muslim villains.

SINCE 9/11, US GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE REPATEDLY BELL Rewarded with increased funding and expanded authority for implementing counterterrorism programs targeting muslims, even when those programs were based on stereotypes and unfounded science, and contributed nothing to public. The NYPD’s Muslim Surveillance and Mapping Programs Resulted in Zero Prosecutions. The Obama Administration’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Programs produced dubious indicators, such as the idea that growing or shaving one’s bearing could be a sign of malevolent intent. Meanwhile, concerns about the threat posed by ideological extremists such as white supremacists were downplayed.

In 2009, a report by the extremism and radicalization branch of the homeland environment threat analysis division warned of the rising threat from white supremacists and violent antigovernment groups. Congress torched it. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) disavowed the report. The DHS Analyst behind it left his job. His team was dissolved.

At 2011, Journalist R Jeffrey Smith noted that “as many as 40 analysts” were focusing on al-Qaeda and its ideological allies. By Contrast, in 2012, Wired Journalist Spencer Ackerman Reported That The DHS Had Only A Single Analyst Tasked With Tracking All Forms Of Domestic Non-Islamic Extremic. In 2017, the Government Accountability Office Reported that 62 of the 85 Extremist Terrorist Incidents in the US Post-9/11 were Carried out by White Nationalists.

Through this government overreach, America’s muslims have learned a hard lesson: When those in power want to target you, there is little you can do to stop it. Ducking for cover or showing your oppressors are not viable strategies. However, there are steps you can take: prioritise serving your community, develop resilience, refuse to change who you are to please those in power, enhance legal preparedness, and build your ability to communicate directly with the American people. It is a difficult road, but movements that champion justice will ultimately thank you.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect al Jazeera’s Editorial Stance.