The Islamic State Of Iraq And Syria - 1927 Words

Utter the word â€Å"Muslim† and immediately bodies stiffen, lips curve downwards, brows furrow, and the word â€Å"terrorist† comes to mind for many Americans. Since the tragedy of 9/11 thirteen years ago, Americans have generally become even more fearful of Muslims, and after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the public opinion of Muslims tends to be more negative. A poll by the Arab American Institute in 2014 reveals that only 27% of Americans feel favorably toward Islam –a dramatic drop from the 47% registered in an ABC poll a month after 9/11 in 2001 (Obeidallah â€Å"13 Years†). This sharp decline at best shows a growing distrust of, and at worst, a deepening prejudice toward Islam. Negativity toward Islam spawns from a fear in many people who consider†¦show more content†¦In the years following 9/11, anti-Muslim sentiment escalated dramatically as the United States went to war with countries in the Middle East and cracked down on American polic ies in an attempt to prevent any future terrorist attacks. To many Americans, this period post-9/11 was a time of patriotism and solidarity; to others, it was a time of alienation and outcasting. After 9/11, despite President George W. Bush’s apparent lack of blame toward the Muslim community for the tragedy, Bush’s administration proceeded to give military trials to civilians, had secret prisons for Muslims, and was responsible for the detention of hundreds of Muslim men without charge as well as the torture and harsh interrogation of detainees (Eltahawy). The invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, two Muslim-majority countries, that followed only continued to demonize Muslims, making Muslims as a whole out to be the American enemy. The Muslim community took the brunt of not only the unfair precautions taken by the federal government, but as fear swept over the country, Muslims became a new target for hate crimes and prejudice.