How did a historic message of religious tolerance collide with a sweeping era of surveillance and suspicion?

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Bush’s mosque visit became one of the clearest public statements of religious tolerance after 9/11, but it collided with a security response that often treated Muslims, Arabs, South Asians and Sikhs as communities of suspicion. His Sept. 17, 2001 message mattered. Bush said “Islam is peace,” warned against harassing women in head coverings, and told Muslim leaders that intimidation “will not stand in America.” Reporting and later research suggest such remarks helped reduce some immediate backlash. But they did not stop a much larger shift in law enforcement and public culture. After 9/11, anti-Muslim hate crimes surged from 28 in 2000 to 481 in 2001, according to FBI data, and levels never returned to where they had been before the attacks. The Justice Department investigated more than 800 bias incidents involving threats, assaults, arson and vandalism. Public suspicion also hardened over time: recent Pew data show large shares of Americans still view Muslims as less patriotic or Islam as more associated with violence than other religions. At the same time, federal and local authorities expanded surveillance powers. The Patriot Act broadened monitoring authority. NSEERS required tens of thousands of men and boys from mostly Muslim-majority countries to register; thousands were deported despite no terrorism convictions resulting from the program. Police and federal agencies also used informants, monitored mosques and student groups, and in some cases conducted investigations …

George W. Bush Recounts Sept. 17 Mosque Visit 6 Days After 9/11 as 25th Anniversary Nears

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George W. Bush Recounts Sept. 17 Mosque Visit 6 Days After 9/11 as 25th Anniversary Nears

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