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Silent Victims: Arab and Muslim Americans Post 9/11
To many Arab and Muslim Americans (about three million Arab-Americans and seven million Muslim-Americans), 9-11 represented a turning point in how America is struggling to accept them as a community with a distinct religious identity. The wave of anti-Muslim hate crimes after 9-11 was the worst in the nation's history. Although it has tapered off since the early weeks of the crisis, anti-Muslim agitation in television and radio has contributed to unprecedented acts of hate crimes.
314 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2004
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About the author
Aladdin Elaasar
7 books3 followersNative Egyptian former professor of Arabic Language and Area Studies at the Defense Language Institute, and the Monterey Institute of International Studies.
Aladdin Elaasar was nominated as a candidate for the presidential elections in Egypt in 2005.
Aladdin Elaasar was nominated as a candidate for the presidential elections in Egypt in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 7, 2026
A BOOK DOCUMENTING ANTI-ARAB/MUSLIM ACTIONS SHORTLY AFTER 9/11
Egyptian/American author, syndicated columnist and lecturer Aladdin Elaasar wrote in the Preface to this 2004 book, “More than two years have passed marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation… The American people are still trying to make sense out of what happened. Meanwhile, the public’s interest to learn about Arabs and Muslims, in general, and Arab and Muslim Americans in particular, has been unprecedented. The nation has been looking for means of self-healing and reconciliation.
“To many Arab Americans, 9/11 also represented a turning point in how America is struggling to accept them as a community with a distinct religious identity. The wave of anti-Muslim hate crimes after 9/11 was the worst in the nation’s history… anti-Muslim agitation in television and radio has contributed to unprecedented acts of hate crimes… In general, 9/11 has negatively impacted the lives of Arab and Muslim Americans, and other minority groups perceived to be of Middle Eastern origins, like the Assyrians, Persians, Indians, and even Hispanics. Fear, not as much of the potential terrorist attacks … but fear from the enemy within. Fear of xenophobes, bigots; hate crime perpetrators, traditional hate groups, and the zealot next door. Fear of government legislations that can limit, or hinder our civil rights, or even our basic human rights, that might not after all make us feel safer.” (Pg. xvi-xvii)
He continues, “[This book] answers the many questions that a great number of people are trying to find answers for… The book also explains the phenomenon of sterotypes stigmatizing Arabs and Muslims, and how it has affected their lives, a phenomenon that demonized and dehumanized almost two billion people in the world.” (Pg. xviii)
He cites a statement issued by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on September 14, 2001:”We are disturbed that a number of Arab Americans and Islamic institutions have been targets of anger and hatred in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. At this time of profound anger and anxiety, no group in this country should be singled out for hatred, prejudice or blame based on their ethnicity or religion.” (Pg. 6)
He also quotes Muhammad Ali: “I am a Muslim. I am an American. As an American Muslim, I want to express my deep sadness and anguish at the tremendous loss of life that occurred on Tuesday. Islam is a religion of peace. Islam does not promote terrorism or the killing of people… It hurts me to see what radical people are doing in the name of Islam. These radicals are doing things that God is against… If the culprits are Muslims, they have twisted the teachings of Islam… Anyone involved in this must pay for their evil acts.” (Pg. 8)
He states, “Since the early nineties, America has witnessed a tide of anti-immigrant sentiments promoted by right-wing demagogical politicians who played the tunes of xenophobia to win cheap victories. The recession of the early nineties played a major role in the resurgence of hate groups that felt that immigrant minorities were a threat to their welfare and status, intentionally ignoring the economic facts of that era. The sad thing is that many uneducated, unsuspecting people bought into that. The media also played a major role in demonizing and bashing immigrants, ignoring the fact that America has been built by the hands of early settlers and immigrants, and America has always been a nation of immigrants.” (Pg. 40)
He reports that “According to … the Washington Post (10/16/00), there are 3.5 million Arab-Americans in the United States… Although there are 7 million Muslims in the United States, all Arab-Americans are not Muslim. Indeed, many are Catholic, Orthodox and Protestants who can trace a continuous line of Christian faith back to the first converts in the Church.” (Pg. 59)
He also reports, “There are about 3 million Arab Americans living in the United States … Most of them are Christians---many of whom came here about a hundred years ago… There are 5 to 7 million Muslims in the USA, most of whom are not from the Middle East.” (Pg. 78)
He explains, “The passage of the ‘USA Patriot Act’ shortly after 9/11 provoked further protests from civil liberties groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union… Last month, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), a secretive federal court that aproves spying on terror suspects in the United States, refused to give the Justice Department broad new powers under the USA Patriot Acrt, saying that for the past two years the government abused existing laws and misled the court dozens of times (including 75 applications for search warrants and wiretaps).” (Pg. 82-83)
He continues, “One of the first measures of concern was the Justice Department’s authorization of the detention of over 1100 immigrants (while the vast majority of these were persons of Arab descent, some were Jews). As of February 2002, 1400 people had been jailed, while only some 440 of them remained in INS custody…” (Pg. 84-85)
He adds, “On August 8, 2002, the Wall Street Journal broke a story that Attorney General John Ashcroft had announced a desire to establish camps for United States citizens who he deems to be ‘enemy combatants’… Such a policy raises questions of who qualifies as an ‘enemy combatant’ and who decides. How will the line be drawn? Would speech be suspect?… Would donations to an Islamic charity suspected of ties to a terrorist organization render one qualified to arrest and detention?” (Pg. 85-86)
He notes, “Islam and Muslims became a matter of public discourse in America. Along with major media organizations, mainline Protestants and Catholics, as well as members from the Black, Latino, Asian and Jewish communities have favored a position that distinguishes between extremists and mainstream Muslims. On the other hand, some Christian conservatives and pro-Israeli zealots have actively sought to drive a wedge between Muslims and the nation. Members of these groups revived the defunct ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis and have actively worked for the exclusion of Muslims from public forums, while continuing to argue for anti-Muslim public policies.” (Pg. 96)
He points out, “televangelist Pat Robertson, speaking… in February 2002, described a veritable infestation of America with violent subversive Muslims. He chose to blast President George W. Bush’s position on Islam as well. He said, ‘I have taken issue with our esteemed president in regard to his stand in saying Islam is a peaceful religion… It’s just not. And the Quran makes it very clear, if you see an infidel, you are to kill him.’ He said, ‘Our immigration policies are now so skewed towards the Middle East and away from Europe that we have introduced these people into our midst and undoubtedly there are terrorist cells all over them. They want to coexist until they can control, dominate, and then if need be destroy.” (Pg. 117-118)
He points out, “A year after the 9/11 attacks, a significant number of non-U.S. nationals originally from Arab and Muslim countries still remain in detention. Most of these people are believed to have overstayed their immigration visas, although they have neither been linked to the attacks nor charged with any criminal offenses. There are some 300,000 absconders in the U.S. These are immigrants who entered the country legally but overstayed their visas.” (Pg. 136)
He recounts, “In November 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that the government would conduct ‘voluntary’ interviews with 5,000 legal Muslim foreign nationals. When this was completed earlier this year, Mr. Ashcroft announced that an additional 3,000 people of the same category of individuals would next be sought. The attorney general said the government learned a great deal from the initial interviews, but little was known as to how that information related to the investigation of the 9/11 attacks or any suspected terrorists. News reports suggested that fewer than 20 of the initial interviewees were arrested, all on charges unrelated to terrorism.” (Pg. 137)
This book will be of great interest to anyone looking into targeting of selected ‘groups’ for special treatment, detainment, deportation, etc.
Egyptian/American author, syndicated columnist and lecturer Aladdin Elaasar wrote in the Preface to this 2004 book, “More than two years have passed marking the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our nation… The American people are still trying to make sense out of what happened. Meanwhile, the public’s interest to learn about Arabs and Muslims, in general, and Arab and Muslim Americans in particular, has been unprecedented. The nation has been looking for means of self-healing and reconciliation.
“To many Arab Americans, 9/11 also represented a turning point in how America is struggling to accept them as a community with a distinct religious identity. The wave of anti-Muslim hate crimes after 9/11 was the worst in the nation’s history… anti-Muslim agitation in television and radio has contributed to unprecedented acts of hate crimes… In general, 9/11 has negatively impacted the lives of Arab and Muslim Americans, and other minority groups perceived to be of Middle Eastern origins, like the Assyrians, Persians, Indians, and even Hispanics. Fear, not as much of the potential terrorist attacks … but fear from the enemy within. Fear of xenophobes, bigots; hate crime perpetrators, traditional hate groups, and the zealot next door. Fear of government legislations that can limit, or hinder our civil rights, or even our basic human rights, that might not after all make us feel safer.” (Pg. xvi-xvii)
He continues, “[This book] answers the many questions that a great number of people are trying to find answers for… The book also explains the phenomenon of sterotypes stigmatizing Arabs and Muslims, and how it has affected their lives, a phenomenon that demonized and dehumanized almost two billion people in the world.” (Pg. xviii)
He cites a statement issued by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on September 14, 2001:”We are disturbed that a number of Arab Americans and Islamic institutions have been targets of anger and hatred in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. At this time of profound anger and anxiety, no group in this country should be singled out for hatred, prejudice or blame based on their ethnicity or religion.” (Pg. 6)
He also quotes Muhammad Ali: “I am a Muslim. I am an American. As an American Muslim, I want to express my deep sadness and anguish at the tremendous loss of life that occurred on Tuesday. Islam is a religion of peace. Islam does not promote terrorism or the killing of people… It hurts me to see what radical people are doing in the name of Islam. These radicals are doing things that God is against… If the culprits are Muslims, they have twisted the teachings of Islam… Anyone involved in this must pay for their evil acts.” (Pg. 8)
He states, “Since the early nineties, America has witnessed a tide of anti-immigrant sentiments promoted by right-wing demagogical politicians who played the tunes of xenophobia to win cheap victories. The recession of the early nineties played a major role in the resurgence of hate groups that felt that immigrant minorities were a threat to their welfare and status, intentionally ignoring the economic facts of that era. The sad thing is that many uneducated, unsuspecting people bought into that. The media also played a major role in demonizing and bashing immigrants, ignoring the fact that America has been built by the hands of early settlers and immigrants, and America has always been a nation of immigrants.” (Pg. 40)
He reports that “According to … the Washington Post (10/16/00), there are 3.5 million Arab-Americans in the United States… Although there are 7 million Muslims in the United States, all Arab-Americans are not Muslim. Indeed, many are Catholic, Orthodox and Protestants who can trace a continuous line of Christian faith back to the first converts in the Church.” (Pg. 59)
He also reports, “There are about 3 million Arab Americans living in the United States … Most of them are Christians---many of whom came here about a hundred years ago… There are 5 to 7 million Muslims in the USA, most of whom are not from the Middle East.” (Pg. 78)
He explains, “The passage of the ‘USA Patriot Act’ shortly after 9/11 provoked further protests from civil liberties groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union… Last month, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), a secretive federal court that aproves spying on terror suspects in the United States, refused to give the Justice Department broad new powers under the USA Patriot Acrt, saying that for the past two years the government abused existing laws and misled the court dozens of times (including 75 applications for search warrants and wiretaps).” (Pg. 82-83)
He continues, “One of the first measures of concern was the Justice Department’s authorization of the detention of over 1100 immigrants (while the vast majority of these were persons of Arab descent, some were Jews). As of February 2002, 1400 people had been jailed, while only some 440 of them remained in INS custody…” (Pg. 84-85)
He adds, “On August 8, 2002, the Wall Street Journal broke a story that Attorney General John Ashcroft had announced a desire to establish camps for United States citizens who he deems to be ‘enemy combatants’… Such a policy raises questions of who qualifies as an ‘enemy combatant’ and who decides. How will the line be drawn? Would speech be suspect?… Would donations to an Islamic charity suspected of ties to a terrorist organization render one qualified to arrest and detention?” (Pg. 85-86)
He notes, “Islam and Muslims became a matter of public discourse in America. Along with major media organizations, mainline Protestants and Catholics, as well as members from the Black, Latino, Asian and Jewish communities have favored a position that distinguishes between extremists and mainstream Muslims. On the other hand, some Christian conservatives and pro-Israeli zealots have actively sought to drive a wedge between Muslims and the nation. Members of these groups revived the defunct ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis and have actively worked for the exclusion of Muslims from public forums, while continuing to argue for anti-Muslim public policies.” (Pg. 96)
He points out, “televangelist Pat Robertson, speaking… in February 2002, described a veritable infestation of America with violent subversive Muslims. He chose to blast President George W. Bush’s position on Islam as well. He said, ‘I have taken issue with our esteemed president in regard to his stand in saying Islam is a peaceful religion… It’s just not. And the Quran makes it very clear, if you see an infidel, you are to kill him.’ He said, ‘Our immigration policies are now so skewed towards the Middle East and away from Europe that we have introduced these people into our midst and undoubtedly there are terrorist cells all over them. They want to coexist until they can control, dominate, and then if need be destroy.” (Pg. 117-118)
He points out, “A year after the 9/11 attacks, a significant number of non-U.S. nationals originally from Arab and Muslim countries still remain in detention. Most of these people are believed to have overstayed their immigration visas, although they have neither been linked to the attacks nor charged with any criminal offenses. There are some 300,000 absconders in the U.S. These are immigrants who entered the country legally but overstayed their visas.” (Pg. 136)
He recounts, “In November 2001, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced that the government would conduct ‘voluntary’ interviews with 5,000 legal Muslim foreign nationals. When this was completed earlier this year, Mr. Ashcroft announced that an additional 3,000 people of the same category of individuals would next be sought. The attorney general said the government learned a great deal from the initial interviews, but little was known as to how that information related to the investigation of the 9/11 attacks or any suspected terrorists. News reports suggested that fewer than 20 of the initial interviewees were arrested, all on charges unrelated to terrorism.” (Pg. 137)
This book will be of great interest to anyone looking into targeting of selected ‘groups’ for special treatment, detainment, deportation, etc.
May 17, 2009
This book is a must read for those who are willing to consider the possibility that Arab and Muslim Americans should not become the scapegoats for the world''s disharmony." Dr. Sima Imam, Professor of Education at National Louis University, Illinois, and President of American Muslim Civil Rights. The increasing public’s curiosity about the Arabs, Muslims and the Arab and Muslim Americans in the United States has been unprecedented. This book explains the phenomenon of stereotypes stigmatizing Arabs and Muslims, and how it has affected their lives, a phenomenon that demonized and dehumanized almost two billion people in this world."
September 4, 2009
" Whenever people face sadness and tragedy then complimenting something that comes out of it becomes harder. This book provides the nation with a rich detailed lived history, which did not begin with September 11, 2001. It is an excellent compilation of events, reports and lived experiences. This documented collection of story will give readers a new chance to fill in the gaps within a historical context that Arabs and Muslims Americans have lived in. In the wake of the events of 9/11, since the tears flooded our faces, we have been forced to recount the events that created the bias and hostility toward Muslims, Arabs, and Islam. This book is a must read for those who are willing to consider the possibility that Arab and Muslim Americans should not become the scapegoats for the world''s disharmony." Dr. Sima Imam, Professor of Education at National Louis University, Illinois, and President of American Muslim Civil Rights. The increasing public-s curiosity about the Arabs, Muslims and the Arab and Muslim Americans in the United States has been unprecedented. This book explains the phenomenon of stereotypes stigmatizing Arabs and Muslims, and how it has affected their lives, a phenomenon that demonized and dehumanized almost two billion people in this world."
October 19, 2010
" Whenever people face sadness and tragedy then complimenting something that comes out of it becomes harder. This book provides the nation with a rich detailed lived history, which did not begin with September 11, 2001. It is an excellent compilation of events, reports and lived experiences. This documented collection of story will give readers a new chance to fill in the gaps within a historical context that Arabs and Muslims Americans have lived in. In the wake of the events of 9/11, since the tears flooded our faces, we have been forced to recount the events that created the bias and hostility toward Muslims, Arabs, and Islam. This book is a must read for those who are willing to consider the possibility that Arab and Muslim Americans should not become the scapegoats for the world''s disharmony." Dr. Sima Imam, Professor of Education at National Louis University, Illinois, and President of American Muslim Civil Rights.The increasing public's curiosity about the Arabs, Muslims and the Arab and Muslim Americans in the United States has been unprecedented. This book explains the phenomenon of stereotypes stigmatizing Arabs and Muslims, and how it has affected their lives, a phenomenon that demonized and dehumanized almost two billion people in this world."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews