FBI surveillance of Muslims and South Asians remains largely undisclosed

Evidence

The secrecy that surrounds these lists is daunting for Muslim American men. They are told they are on some list, but it is never specified which one, creating a state of uncertainty. Some are told their names are similar to one on a “terrorist watchlist,” making these men fear being associated with terrorism. This feeling of being watched but not knowing why or when, makes Muslim American men feel vulnerable. Although all the men interviewed are American citizens, they are still situated on the margins of society because their bodies are monitored and watched. — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 276 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Reda Shata learned firsthand why it doesn’t pay to associate with the law enforcement establishment. He worked with the FBI and the police, inviting officers to his mosque for breakfast and even dining with Mayor Bloomberg. He personified everything that American imperialism has defined as a “good Muslim.” Yet an undercover police officer and an informant were assigned to spy on him and to keep tabs on his mosque. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 586 (#complicates, via linked claim)

There are political, economic, and social motivations behind the process of racialization. For example, the need to maintain a surveillance industry is driven by the idea that terrorism is one of the greatest threats to Americans. This surveillance industry needs bodies to watch and monitor; therefore racializing a Muslim body as a potential terrorist becomes a necessity to keep the surveillance industry well resourced. — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 671 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Court-ordered FOIA releases reveal FBI surveillance of US South Asians — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 1276; Even Muslims who cooperated with the FBI were placed under surveillance — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 586; State surveillance of Muslims persists despite agents knowing complaints lack merit — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 469 (+20 more)

Broader Connections

• Secrecy about surveillance lists creates chronic uncertainty and vulnerability for Muslim citizens #corroborates (1.00) — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 276
• Even Muslims who cooperated with the FBI were placed under surveillance #complicates (0.90) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 586
• State surveillance of Muslims persists despite agents knowing complaints lack merit #complicates (0.85) — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 469
• Surveillance justified by religious identity constitutes racialization of Muslims #complicates (0.85)
• Anti-Muslim surveillance is bipartisan rather than partisan #complicates (0.85) — Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, 474
• Blanket accusations of Muslims justify state surveillance by identity #complicates (0.85)
• The surveillance industry depends on racialized Muslim bodies to stay funded #complicates (0.85) — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 671
• Surveillance technologies shuttle unchanged between foreign warzones and domestic Muslim communities #complicates (0.80)
• FBI visits to Muslim men often track their political speech rather than suspected terror #complicates (0.80) — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 471
• FBI coerced Muslim community members into informing using fabricated threats #complicates (0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 563
• Muslim American surveillance contradicts postracial and colorblind claims #complicates (0.75) — Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, 82
• The FBI cataloged Black Muslim groups despite finding no evidence of Japanese collusion #complicates (0.75) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 1453
• Political speech by Palestinian immigrants triggers FBI surveillance regardless of views #complicates (0.75) — Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, 435
• FBI surveillance drives Muslim congregations to self-police and Americanize #complicates (0.75)
• Surveillance targets Muslim Americans based on religious identity regardless of citizenship #complicates (0.75) — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 104