Suspicion of Muslims is based on association rather than evidence

Evidence

The logic underlying these cases is that Muslims are naturally “predisposed” to commit violent acts and should therefore be put away. Downs explains that “to prove predisposition, the government claims that routine, normal behavior of the defendants––dress, religious observances, Islamic financial transactions, literature, etc.––indicates a ‘predisposition’ to commit terrorism, based on the false stereotype that all Muslims are predisposed to commit terrorism. If they are sufficiently ‘Muslim,’ they are sufficiently ‘predisposed.’” — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 463 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

After hours of questioning, the agent finally said to them, “I guess you’re not terrorists.” This comment shows that Muslim bodies are equated with their potentiality to commit terror until proven otherwise. — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 282 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim
• XREF: connects to: Muslims are presumed predisposed to terrorism, making entrapment defenses fail. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 570; Factual correction fails against holders of complex ignorance about Islam. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 653; Most people harboring anti-Muslim prejudice act from ignorance rather than malice. — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 690 (+35 more)

Related

• Terrorism and extremism are treated as exclusive to Islam (similarity 0.89)
• Routine Muslim religious practice is legally treated as evidence of terrorist predisposition (similarity 0.89)
• Courts treated ordinary Muslim religiosity as evidence of terrorist predisposition (similarity 0.88)
• Muslim bodies are treated as potential terrorists until proven otherwise (similarity 0.87)
• Muslims are presumed predisposed to terrorism, making entrapment defenses fail. (similarity 0.86)
• Courts legitimize treating an entire religious community as suspicious (similarity 0.85)
• Muslims are presumed terrorists until interrogation proves otherwise (similarity 0.85)
• Even exemplary good Muslims are simultaneously surveilled as suspects (similarity 0.84)
• Interrogators presume Muslims hold authentic insider knowledge of terrorism (similarity 0.84)
• Even watchlisted Muslims face additional appearance-based profiling (similarity 0.83)
• US policy frames the world’s 2 billion Muslims as presumptive terrorists. (similarity 0.83)
• Anti-Muslim suspicion targets all Muslims, not just violent extremists (similarity 0.82)
• Muslims are presumed guilty until proven innocent in US enforcement (similarity 0.82)
• Each terrorist attack resets Muslims into heightened suspicion and surveillance (similarity 0.81)
• Preemptive prosecution jails people for crimes never committed, based on presumed Muslim predisposition (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Preconceptions about Muslims filter out information that contradicts them #expands (0.80)
• Muslim bodies are treated as potential terrorists until proven otherwise #expands (0.70) — , Selod, Saher - Forever Suspect_…, 282
• Routine Muslim religious practice is legally treated as evidence of terrorist predisposition #exemplifies (0.70) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 463
• Blanket accusations of Muslims justify state surveillance by identity #corroborates (0.60)
• Anti-Muslim suspicion targets all Muslims, not just violent extremists #expands (0.60) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 540
• Surveillance justified by religious identity constitutes racialization of Muslims #expands (0.60)
• State policies authorizing suspicion are the cornerstone of dialectical Islamophobia #expands (0.60) — Khaled A. Beydoun, American Islamophobia_ Understanding…, 136
• Orientalism sustains the credibility of preexisting Muslim monster images #expands (0.50)