Lesson 1
In this lesson students will learn about the beginning of the US War on Terror and the 9/11 attacks. The War on Terror is an example of US imperialism in the Middle East. The conflict included both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The War on Terror brought attention to the interrogation tactics used by the military. One of the legacies of that war is the scandal that broke out over prisoners being tortured in Abu Ghraib (Iraq) and Guantanamo Bay (Cuba).
READ:
A Timeline of the U.S.-Led War on Terror
LISTEN:
WATCH:
Trigger Warning: Torture
READ:
Trigger Warning: Torture
‘It never really left me’: Abu Ghraib torture survivors finally get their day in court
Discussion Questions:
- What did the War on Terror accomplish?
- How was the war influenced by racism and islamophobia?
- There has been recent debate about the United States removing its troops out of Afghanistan. Do you think this is a good move for the US? Why or why not?
- What do you think should happen to people that were tortured by the United States? Should they get some type of compensation?
- The military personnel who carried out the torture in Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and other places are often described as “bad apples.” We hear that type of language also used to describe police officers who brutalize and murder marginalized people. Do you think there are any similarities to the actions carried out in Abu Ghraib and police officers here in the United States? How are the tactics (and equipment) used by the military also used by the police?
Lesson 2
In this lesson students will analyze how the War on Terror was used to spy on Muslim communities here in the US. These programs were continually funded and defended even though they did not help uncover any domestic terrorists.
READ:
The Absurd, Almost Comic Folly of Michael Bloomberg’s Muslim Surveillance
FACTSHEET: THE NYPD MUSLIM SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM
WATCH:
LISTEN:
Below are two oral histories from the Brooklyn Historical Society’s Muslims in Brooklyn oral history project. Choose one oral history to listen to.
Listen from minute 35:00-59:00 (hate crimes, deportations, surveillance)
Listen from minute 27:00-59:00 (suing the NYPD)
READ:
White supremacy is ‘most lethal threat’ to the US, DHS draft assessment says
WATCH:
Discussion Questions:
- What was the impact of NYPD surveillance on Muslim communities?
- Why did the NYPD and the FBI continue to spy on Muslims even though their efforts turned up no terrorists?
- Do you think ending the War on Terror would make Americans safer at home?
- How does racism affect the way that White domestic terrorists are treated versus Muslims in America? Which one is a bigger threat?
- How have these surveillance tactics and strategies been used against protestors over the past year? How are they used against other communities?
