Thread by @WajahatAli

After the 9-11 terror attacks, Muslims have spent 20 years condemning violent acts done by extremists they've never met. It's never enough. Our loyalty and patriotism is still held as suspect and our acceptance is always conditional based on our alleged moderation. 1/

It's not just Muslims who became the "enemy" after 9-11 as we still pursue our endless War on Terror, it was anyone who looked Muslim, including Sikhs, Christian Arabs & Indian Hindus. Hate crimes spiked, an entire Islamophobia Industry blossomed (read Fear Inc, our report)

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After 9-11, "Islam" became the enemy & it was now a civilizational war. The West vs Islam, whatever that means, US vs the Axis of Evil, and those who were born and raised here like me became both "us" & "them." My only utility & worth is how I help US national security. 3/

1.7 billion people.and 1400 years of Islamic civilization became reduced to the image of "Rage Boy" (go Google it.) We became TV's convenient villain (see 24 and early Homeland.) The one good Muslim is usually the one helping fight the hordes of evil Muslims. 4/

Go see Bill Clinton's speech at the 2016 DNC when he talked about Muslims. We are only wanted based on conditions involving national security. This country went so crazy many smear Obama as a Muslim to this day. Islam is used as kryptonite to paint him as foreign and evil. 5/

Trump's first ad only focused on two issues: the Wall and the Muslim Ban. All of the fringe anti-Muslim hatemongers we mentioned in our Islamophobia report in 2011 (Fear Inc) are now consulting this White House Administration. Just reflect on that for a moment. 6/

What was once fringe talking points, such as "Sharia is a threat to America" is now a mainstream talking point used by Republican Presidential candidates since 2012. Anti-Muslim activists now use "zoning ordinances" to stop mosques. All the hate is in the open 7/

20 years after the 9-11 terror attack that killed 3,000 people, innocents across the globe & at home have been victimized for the criminal actions of a handful of extremists. Collective punishment based on ethnicity & religious identification. 8/

And if you still think this anti-Muslim bigotry isn't real, I'd like you to concentrate who is in the White House: an anti-Muslim President who lied that he saw a video that doesn't exist about Muslims in NYC celebrating the towers falling on 9-11 & ran on a Muslim Ban. 9/

I look forward to the day where we can be seen as fellow Americans and accepted as such without conditionality based on moderation or condemning terror done in violation of our faith.

All of this...is never-ending and exhausting.

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