The Trump administration’s Muslim and African bans have an antecedent in the immigration and national security programs undertaken by the newly-created Department of Homeland Security after 9/11 to profile people from Muslim-majority countries. to rebuild the region’s systems and institutions during the endless war. The alarming situation in Afghanistan since American troops withdrew exposes the failure of the U.S.

The overwhelming allocation of resources to the military in the wake of 9/11 for the war on terror is partly why public health infrastructure is crumbling in the midst of a global pandemic. The current surveillance state that criminalizes Black people has been exacerbated by post-9/11 policies that expanded the reach of law enforcement to spy on Muslim, South Asian, and Arab communities. But the aftermath of 9/11 isn’t limited to our communities.

The effects of policy decisions made after 9/11 changed the lives of South Asian, Muslim, Arab, Afghan, Iraqi, and Sikh communities back in 2001 and continue to pervade our all of our lives today. How do we address these flashpoints with the hindsight of what has transpired over the past two decades? We can more effectively understand and respond to today’s crisis points if we acknowledge and reckon with the legacy of 9/11-and commit to changing course now. Today, a new generation is being catalyzed by multiple crises, including climate change, a global pandemic, and political polarization. Those initial days catalyzed South Asians, Muslims, Arabs, Afghans, Iraqis, and Sikhs to advocate and organize against the climate of hate and flawed government policies, which led to devastating consequences that still reverberate 20 years later. area activists to address the backlash that was targeting Muslims, Sikhs, Afghans, Iraqis, Arabs, and South Asians. Within 24 hours of that terrible day, I remember being part of emergency calls and meetings with Washington, D.C. My generation faced a crisis point on Sept.

We Too Sing America by Deepa Iyer