If the group is having trouble generating their own ideas for next steps, these suggestions can help get things started:

● Learn more about American Muslim cultures, experiences, and religious beliefs.

● Learn more about Arab cultures.

● Examine popular media portrayals of Arab and Muslim cultures to assess how these groups are stereotyped in the U.S.

● Examine your own bias towards Muslims and Arabs.

● Learn about the Freedom of Information Act and how to request information from the FBI.

● Learn more about how your personal data is being used by both the government and private companies.

● Talk with advocates in your community about data justice and ownership of personal data.

● Talk with community organizers who have been doing anti surveillance advocacy and organizing work.

● Learn more about the history of the Operation Vulgar Betrayal and the history of surveilling Muslims.

● Speak out against persecution in your own community when you encounter it. Report acts of discrimination or unfair treatment of religious, ethnic and/or minority groups.

● Organize storytelling circles to create a platform for community members to share experiences; emphasize a safe space where members can safely share stories they haven’t been comfortable speaking up about.

● Participate in intergenerational communication and learning.

● Participate in a workshop on active listening to develop skills to be able to listen deeply without judgement of other peoples’ stories.

RESOURCES

● The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a U.S. federal law that gives the public access to information possessed by government agencies. Through FOIA, citizens may request the release release information held by the government.

● Operation Vulgar Betrayal

● The Inverse Surveillance Project is the is the community engagement and impact strategy for The Feeling of Being Watched. The project engages in community storytelling and AI fueled truth-seeking to nurture a collective healing in American Muslim communities, and compel a radical transparency in government records and data.

● The Muslim Wellness Foundation works to reduce stigma and promote healing in the American Muslim community through dialogue, education and training.

● Hosted at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture,The Data Justice Lab is investigating the relationship between datafication and social justice, highlighting the politics and impacts of data-driven processes and big data.

● The 2018 bookAmerican Islamophobia details a long history of Islamophobia in the U.S. and its roots in racism and the legal system.