Why are Muslim-led organizations leading the fight against Biden’s anti-white supremacy counterterrorism strategy? Because his strategy just reheats the CVE program, an insidious form of psychological warfare that has deeply harmed Muslim communities. As the national security state strong-armed community organizations into snitch departments, Muslim activists organized resistance and community resilience. They are still leading that resistance. 

Social justice organizations and civil liberties watchdogs are raising concerns that Biden’s Domestic Extremism Strategy will amplify bias and erode civil liberties. Muslim organizers know these concerns are not theoretical. 

On Wednesday, July 21, 2021, DRAD hosted the second event in our #LunchtimeLive series focused on the “new” Biden counterterror strategy and what it means for dissent in American. Moderator Cody Bloomfield was joined by Muslim Justice League Executive Director Fatema Ahmad for a conversation about grassroots resistance to CVE in Boston and about taking the fight federal as agencies and academia embraced the CVE model.

Fatema Ahmad is the Executive Director at Muslim Justice League, where she leads MJL’s efforts to dismantle the criminalization and policing of marginalized communities under national security pretexts. She joined as Deputy Director in 2017 and increased MJL’s focus on organizing within and collaborating across impacted communities to resist and subvert surveillance. Fatema also serves on the Board of Directors for Political Research Associates, a social justice think tank devoted to supporting movements that are building a more just and inclusive democratic society.

Fatema reports back from the frontlines about why Muslims aren’t buying the Biden administration’s claim that the newest iterations of CVE (including CP3) will address white supremacy. There’s a history here – and Biden would do well to pay attention.