In a society where citizenship has a history of being associated with whiteness and Christianity and where a heightened sense of nationalism reflects the overall political tone, many Muslim American men are afraid to speak openly against the government because they did not want to be seen as terrorist sympathizers, as Adil's testimony highlights. This fear of being associated with terrorism is not mere paranoia but steeped in the political and cultural context in the United States after 9/11. In addition to increasing the surveillance capacity of the state, the USA PATRIOT Act criminalizes individuals who inadvertently fund terrorism through donations to charitable organizations. It is not just individuals who commit terrorist acts who are punished, but anyone associated with terrorism.

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 433