In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Muslims and Arabs in the US faced intense discrimination and harassment, as did Sikhs, Somalis, and other people perceived to have Middle Eastern ancestry or connections. They experienced slurs and violence from other members of the public including demands to remove hijabs or turbans, housing and employment discrimination, and physical attacks. In addition, many experienced targeting from the government in the form of intrusive surveillance and questioning, often without charges or due process. However, many members of these groups also began engaging more deeply with their communities - starting Arabic language classes, open houses at mosques, or founding groups to teach immigrants about US civic processes.

In this image, Seattle mayor Greg Nickels (front left) and Washington Governor Gary Locke (holding plate) hand out slices of cake at an interfaith community meeting hosted by Idriss Mosque, and attended by members of different religious communities, including Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, and Christians. The cake is decorated as the US flag, with the words "United We Stand." This photo was taken for a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article about discrimination and harassment since 9/11, published on the one year anniversary of the attacks.

Caption information source: "For some, the fear persists," by Vanessa Ho and Daikha Dridi, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 11, 2002, page A12.