As the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people approaches, one group is analyzing America’s response.
The Arab American National Museum (AANM), a Smithsonian affiliate in Dearborn, Michigan, believes Arab-Americans were also victims, saying they “suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th.” Not only as a result of the actual attacks, but also what the organization describes as unfair and discriminatory treatment. The museum, which has received federal funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities, has a placard that “criticizes the government’s post-9/11 detention of immigrants investigated for possible terrorist links, noting that ‘virtually none were charged’ in connection with terrorism,” according to Fox News.
“The Arab American community suffered two-fold as a result of the tragic events of September 11th. As with all Americans, they suffered the horror and grief. However, Arab Americans were unfairly held responsible, yet not a single Arab American was found guilty of any connection to September 11th,” the placard reportedly reads. It also suggests that harsher immigration enforcement was used against Arabs, including cases where some where “deported for minor visa violations or petty offenses which previously would have been overlooked.”
“In the 11 months after the attacks, immigration authorities detained 762 noncitizens on immigration charges in connection with the FBI’s terrorism investigation, including for overstaying visas or entering the country illegally, according to a Justice Department inspector general report. The watchdog found that some detainees with no terrorism ties were treated harshly and held under unnecessarily restrictive conditions,” Fox News reported.
According to the report, the museum holds an annual event where the U.S. response to 9/11 often comes under scrutiny, and offers “a safe space for communities to reflect and engage in dialogue about the harmful prejudices that Arab and Muslim (and anyone perceived to be Arab or Muslim) individuals face on both an individual and systemic level.” It’s worth noting that there is no mention of the victims who died as a result of the attacks in the online description of the event.
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During Fox News Digital’s visit earlier this month, a section of the museum was dedicated to art criticizing Israel’s alleged “occupation” of Palestinian land. One piece of art, the word “wall” presented in a stylized print, accuses the Israeli government of perpetuating a system of “apartheid.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe art installation broadly accuses Israel of targeting civilians in military operations, denying basic necessities to Palestinians and unjustly occupying land.
One placard accompanying a sculpture states that Israel has killed more than 2,000 Palestinian children since Sept. 29, 2000, citing If Americans Knew (IAK).
The placard’s sourcing is itself controversial. Some pro-Palestinian organizations have distanced themselves from IAK over allegations of antisemitism and ties to White supremacists, allegations the group has disputed. IAK also operates a news site that has published articles rejecting the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization.
Palestinian-themed merch is also reportedly available for sale in the museum’s gift shop, including keffiyehs and children’s coloring books.
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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