Fact Sheet on the September 11 Moment: Selected Comparisons

There is no dearth of information when it comes to the impact of September 11 on communities here and abroad. The editors have identified three specific pieces that provide the reader with different points of entry and opportunities for reflection. The first is a basic timeline of events after September 11, 2001. The timeline is not intended to be comprehensive, but identifies key domestic policy decisions and events that have led to many of the changes that are reflected in the essays here.

The second piece includes three charts that appeared in a publication of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (August 24, 2010). The publication, entitled Public Remains Conflicted over Islam, asked a range of questions in a poll conducted August 19–22, 2010 among 1,003 adults. The timing for the poll is of interest as it occurred around the time of the national controversy over the Islamic cultural center near the former site of the World Trade Center. The charts that we have included here asked the following questions:

What are public views of Islam? (Figure 1)

Whether Islam encourages violence more than other religions. Figure 2 notes that over time, there has been little change in public views on this topic.

How much do you know about Islam? Figure 3 shows that over time, most Americans have said they know little about the religion.

Finally, we have provided the text of two documents, which when taken together provide a stark reminder of how government policies can exclude individuals based on their national origin, race, immigration status, and other factors. Executive Order 9066 authorized the displacement of more than 100,000 Japanese Americans from their homes and into internment camps. The Immigration and Naturalization Service’s “special registration” notice (a program implemented in late 2002) called

Figure 1.

Public views of Islam, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Figure 2.

Little change in views on Islam and violence, Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Figure 3.

How much do you know about the Muslim religion? Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

on men aged sixteen and over from Muslim-majority countries to report to immigration authorities. Nearly 13,000 people were deported as a result of the “special registration” program.

Timeline of Key Post–September 11 Domestic Policies Affecting South Asian, Muslim, Arab American and Sikh Communities, Produced by South Asian Americans Leading Together

• • September 11, 2001: Attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon (Schmemann 2001).

• • September 11, 2001–September 17, 2001: In the week following September 11, there are 645 reports of bias incidents and crimes aimed at individuals of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent (South Asian Americans Leading Together 2001).

• • September 17, 2001: Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) issues a rule allowing immigrants to be detained 48 hours without being charged, which may be extended in the event of an “emergency.”¹

• • September 21, 2001: Chief Immigration Judge Michael Creppy issues a memorandum allowing immigration courts to close deportation proceedings for “special interest” detainees (Creppy 2001).

• • September 2001–February 2002: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) detain without charge approximately 1,200 individuals. Many are denied access to counsel and undergo secret hearings (Ashcroft 2001).

• • October 26, 2001: President George W. Bush signs the USA Patriot Act into law. This legislation increases government ability to conduct searches and surveillance and enhances detention powers.²

• • November 2001: Attorney General John Ashcroft orders “volunteer questioning” of more than 5,000 men who come from countries where al-Qaida has a “terrorist presence.” A second round of questioning begins in March 2002. Of the 2,261 men who are actually interviewed, the Department of Justice reports that none have...