For a decade before they descended on the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, these extremist groups have been directing their hatred and violence toward our community. And we’ve been sounding the alarm about how dangerous they are for just as long.
Now, let’s be clear. The answer to the problem of these extremists is not to make the same catastrophic mistake that was made after September 11th. We don’t need, and we cannot afford, to embark on another broad, sweeping war on terror. As American Muslims, we know all too well what the pitfalls are of giving the national security apparatus unlimited, unconstitutional power.
Instead, we must address lawlessness in a lawful manner. The government must conduct an open, transparent investigation, and bring those responsible before courts of law, not into secret detention centers.
We must also not forget that fish rots from the head down. In the same way that the anti-Muslim bigotry that was so foundational to many of the groups involved in the January 6th attack was promoted by well-funded and politically well-connected think tanks and a disturbingly large number of elected officials, the root causes of the January 6th attack lie with some of the most powerful institutions in our nation.
Ismail Allison is National Communications Coordinator at the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He can be reached at [email protected]
READ THE FULL OP-ED ON CAIR’S WEBSITE
READ THE FULL OP-ED ON CAIR’S MEDIUM
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Become a Fan of CAIR on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/CAIRNational
Subscribe to CAIR’s Email List
https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters
Subscribe to CAIR’s Twitter Feed
http://twitter.com/cairnational
Subscribe to CAIR’s YouTube Channel
Follow CAIR on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/cair_national/
Donate to CAIR
https://action.cair.com/a/donate
Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.
You are receiving this email due to your interest selection from commercial media databases. If you would like to join CAIR’s media list, please sign up here: https://action.cair.com/a/newsletters — For more information, email: [email protected], CC [email protected]
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]