Since September 11, 2001, thousands of individuals in the U.S. have been needlessly swept up in the War on Terror and found themselves subject to a wide range of human and civil rights abuses, from rendition and torture, to workplace discrimination, bullying, FBI surveillance and harassment. In their own words, the narrators of Patriot Acts recount their lives before the 9/11 attacks and their experiences of the backlash that have deeply altered their lives and communities.This book seeks to tell the life stories of the innocent men and women who have been needlessly swept up in the “war on terror.” As we approach the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, this collection of narratives gives voice to the people who have had their human rights violated here in the U.S. by post-9/11 policies and actions. Among the narrators:
- Young men of Arab, Muslim, South Asian, and Middle Eastern descent, who were arrested and detained or singled out for voluntary interviews because of their national origin or religion.
- Scholars who have been blacklisted or subjected to interrogation for their research or writings on Islam and related topics.
- Muslim women who have suffered from job discrimination, harassment, and assault for wearing a veil or similar head covering.
What People Are Saying
"Journalist Alia Malek has deftly edited and transcribed a moving collection of true stories in Patriot Acts: Narratives of Post-9/11 Injustice that may help us all ponder more deeply and clearly."
—Susanne Pari, San Francisco Chronicle
"The narratives collected in this important and timely book will go a long way toward helping us deal with the reality of what we have been through, and where we are going, since the attacks of 9/11."
—Reza Aslan, author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
“Gripping. This is an important book that takes us beyond the featureless generalities of the post-9/11 drama to show us the particular experiences of individual human beings, each one living a life unlike any other.”
—Tamim Ansary, author of West of Kabul, East of New York