An Arab American soldier internalized guilt equating dissent with terrorism

Evidence

Was he less of an American because he didn’t want to fight? he wondered. Was he like the terrorists who attacked the United States? Who was he helping? He was nervous, young, and afraid. — Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does It Feel to Be a Problem? Being…, 225

Categorization

• QUESTION: The guilt mechanism — equating personal reluctance with alignment to terrorists — is a striking window into how 9/11-era loyalty frameworks coerced compliance from Arab soldiers.