Since September 11, 2001, thousands of individuals in the U.S. have been needlessly swept up in the War on Terror and found themselves subject to a wide range of human and civil rights abuses, from rendition and torture, to workplace discrimination, bullying, FBI surveillance and harassment. In their own words, the narrators of Patriot Acts recount their lives before the 9/11 attacks and their experiences of the backlash that have deeply altered their lives and communities.This book seeks to tell the life stories of the innocent men and women who have been needlessly swept up in the "war on terror." As we approach the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, this collection of narratives gives voice to the people who have had their human rights violated here in the U.S. by post-9/11 policies and actions. Among the narrators: Young men of Arab, Muslim, South Asian, and Middle Eastern descent, who were arrested and detained or singled out for voluntary interviews because of their national origin or religion. Scholars who have been blacklisted or subjected to interrogation for their research or writings on Islam and related topics. Muslim women who have suffered from job discrimination, harassment, and assault for wearing a veil or similar head covering.

Since September 11, 2001, thousands of individuals in the U.S. have been needlessly swept up in the War on Terror and found themselves subject to a wide range of human and civil rights abuses, from rendition and torture, to workplace discrimination, bullying, FBI surveillance and harassment. In their own words, the narrators of Patriot Acts recount their lives before the 9/11 attacks and their experiences of the backlash that have deeply altered their lives and communities.This book seeks to tell the life stories of the innocent men and women who have been needlessly swept up in the "war on terror." As we approach the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, this collection of narratives gives voice to the people who have had their human rights violated here in the U.S. by post-9/11 policies and actions. Among the narrators: Young men of Arab, Muslim, South Asian, and Middle Eastern descent, who were arrested and detained or singled out for voluntary interviews because of their national origin or religion. Scholars who have been blacklisted or subjected to interrogation for their research or writings on Islam and related topics. Muslim women who have suffered from job discrimination, harassment, and assault for wearing a veil or similar head covering.

The history of Arab settlement in the United States stretches back nearly as far as the history of America itself. For the first time, Alia Malek brings this history to life. In each of eleven spellbinding chapters, she inhabits the voice and life of one Arab American, at one time-stopping historical moment.

Separately, the chapters in "A Country Called Amreeka "transport us; together, they offer a vital piece of the mosaic of our American history and a fresh, urgent, and exciting perspective on a teeming community whom it has become essential for us to understand.