When the FBI Knocks

Racialized State Surveillance of Muslims

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2370565
AutoresSabrina Alimahomed-Wilson (0000-0002-0148-7573, California State University, Long Beach, autor de correspondencia)
Año2019
Volumen45
Número6
Páginas871-887
Fecha de publicación2019-09-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCritical Sociology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0896-9205 • E-ISSN: 1569-1632
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0896920517750742
OpenAlexW2790214308
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas27
Referencias citadas14

The sustained fixation on Muslims as the perennial suspects in domestic terrorism is a stereotype that continues to pervade counter-intelligence driven efforts. This research analyzes 113 cases of FBI contact with US Muslims living in Los Angeles, CA. Based upon these cases, this research suggests that every day, normal behavior becomes suspicious only when practiced by US Muslims, which would otherwise be acceptable, mundane, and unremarkable for ordinary white Christians, therefore constituting a form of 'racialized state surveillance.' The most prevalent questions asked by FBI agents to Muslims in this study were regarding religious practices or affiliation with religious organizations demonstrating the FBI faultily presumes that Muslim ties to their community and faith is abnormal, and worthy of state surveillance. This research reveals that FBI contact with Muslims is often not reliant upon actual indications of criminal activity, but instead the contact is predicated upon the suspicion of who is engaged in these behaviors. Under racialized state surveillance, these actions become hyperscrutinized and deemed worthy of FBI assessment

Criminology · Faith · Islam · Political science · Racial profiling · Sociology · Terrorism · Gender Studies · Gun Ownership and Violence Research · History · Law · Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence · Torture, Ethics, and Law