'Seasons of Fury' traces the roots of Islamophobia in the United States

Leila Fadel and investigative journalist Rozina Ali explore how anti-Muslim and anti-Arab sentiment in the United States has roots reaching decades before the September 11th attacks. Ali's research reveals that the depiction of Islam as foreign and dangerous, as well as government surveillance, became embedded in American consciousness during the 1960s and 1970s.

Jabara Family's Story Shows Government Surveillance of Muslim and Arab Americans Began Decades Before 9/11

Rozina Ali highlights how the Jabara family’s experiences illustrate early government suspicion and surveillance of Muslim and Arab Americans. The Jabara patriarch served in the U.S. Army and was an active member of various organizations in his small town. Despite these signs of civic engagement and patriotism, the family was targeted by federal authorities simply because of their Arab and Muslim heritage. This targeting wasn’t unique to the Jabaras, but part of a broader pattern of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim focus from the government in the 1960s and 1970s.

Fbi Surveilled Mosques, Questioned Attendees On 1968-1969 Participation

Ali notes that, in the wake of the geopolitical changes of the late 1960s, FBI agents visited mosques and questioned people about their participation as early as 1968 and 1969. Law enforcement treated mosque attendance and community gathering as activities worthy of surveillance, reinforcing suspicion based on religion and origin.

1967 War Shaped Arab American Identity, Triggered Anti-Muslim Sentiment As Security Concern

The Israel-Arab War of 1967, also known as the Six-Day War, was pivotal in shaping the political identity of Arab Americans, particularly in places like Michigan. Rozina Ali connects the surge in federal scrutiny and societal suspicion to this geopolitical conflict. Law enforcement and national security agencies began to view Muslim and Arab communities as potential threats based purely on their religious and ethnic identity. This conflation of religious identity with danger or foreignness became a common part of the American mindset after 1967.

Characterizing Muslims as For ...

Mateen Siraj's Case Highlights Disparities in Terrorism vs. White Supremacist Prosecutions

Leila Fadel describes how Mateen Siraj, a young Muslim man, was convicted of terrorism despite not buying any materials, not building explosives, and ultimately withdrawing from a plot to attack a New York subway station—a plot set in motion following manipulation by a law enforcement informant. Nevertheless, Mateen received a 30-year prison sentence. In stark contrast, two white supremacists who planned a racist gunfire attack, bought ammunition, and had their attack foiled after one shot was fired, received far shorter sentences—one 10 years, the other 14. These white supremacists were much further along in carrying out their planned violence than Mateen, yet the legal system imposed far lighter penalties.

Judiciary's Fear-Based System Creates Kafkaesque Barriers to Freedom and Rehabilitation

Rozina Ali explains that the courts justify lengthy sentences for terrorism defendants under a logic based in fear: judges speculate that after years in solitary confinement or prison, defendants may become even more radicalized and thus remain a threat upon release. This circular reasoning means that the mere possibility of future radicalization becomes justification for indefinite punishment, making it mathematically impossible for someone to conclusively demonstrate their rehabilitation or satisfy the court's concerns about potential danger. As a result, no matter how long the sentence or the conditions endured, Muslim defendants like Mateen often face insurmountable barriers to winning their freedom ...

Post-9/11 Era Triggered Widespread Federal Surveillance and Suspicion of U.S. Muslim Communities

After 9/11, Rozina Ali explains that nearly the entire Muslim community in the United States fell under a broad case of suspicion. This suspicion did not only come from federal authorities like the FBI and local police departments, but also extended to neighbors. In this new era, a widespread monitoring apparatus developed, targeting Muslims primarily because of their religious identity and perceived associations with the events of 9/11. This approach to counterterrorism effectively criminalized the Muslim religious community, placing them under persistent scrutiny regardless of individual actions.

Counterterrorism Prosecutions Disproportionately Impact Muslim Americans, Amplifying Fear and Reinforcing Suspicion Through the Justice System

The justice system’s counterterrorism prosecutions have had a disproportionate impact on Muslim Am ...

Islamophobia frequently shapes the experience of Muslim politicians and candidates in the United States, as anti-Muslim rhetoric is weaponized against them with little consequence. Public debates over their belonging and visibility reveal ongoing divisions in American society and a persistent view of Muslims as outsiders, especially in the political arena.

Islamophobic Rhetoric Weaponized Against Muslim Candidates With Little Consequence

Rozina Ali notes that candidate Abdullah Al-Sayed, running for Senate in Michigan, is facing Islamophobic attacks similar to those experienced by others such as New York City mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani. In Mamdani’s case, references to 9/11 were repeatedly evoked, painting him as a potential threat to the city—an example of how anti-Muslim sentiment is leveraged as a political weapon. Ali finds it astonishing that politicians can circulate such Islamophobic rhetoric with almost no repercussions or political cost, even as they openly peddle vitriol.

Visual tactics have also been employed to invoke division. Leila Fadel describes a moment when the president posted a photo of himself with Melania alongside a photo of El-Sayed and his wife, Sarah Joukakou, who wears a hijab. The caption, “Two very different Americas,” suggests that Muslim Americans, by mere presence or appearance, embody an incompatible vision for the United States.

Division in American Society Over Muslim Political Participation

Ali argues that this country is deeply divided over the presence and participation of Muslims in politics. When public figures or political leaders share images of Muslim candidates and their visibly religious spouses, such as Abdullah El-Sayed’s wife’s hijab, these visual markers become focal points for polarized reactions. One part of the population may see such a photo and feel threatened, rejecting the idea that people like El-Sayed and his family should belong in America. Another part, by contrast, sees such diversity as a positive reflection of American pluralism an ...