A hacktivist just leaked the No-Fly List. What we learned is outrageous, Indiana.

Join us in taking action?

As salaamu alaykum, Indiana —

Global headlines were made in recent days when a "hacktivist" gained access to the TSA No-Fly list, sharing information validating what so many of us feared.¹

The exposed No-Fly List has tens of thousands of names — and many of those names are Muslim and Arab…with roughly 10% named Muhammad.²

We all deserve to fly safely — whether we are Muslim, Black, brown, or white. But a secretive list that adds people without explanation or due process and disproportionately impacts and targets U.S. Muslims functions more as a government tool to enforce Islamophobia rather than safety. 

We're tired of persistent harassment because of our faith.

That's why we've launched #FlyingWhileMuslim 2023 to document the impact of Muslim profiling by the U.S. No-Fly list. 

We want to hear from you, your parents, friends, and extended families, so we can show the harm and the indignities we've faced while simply trying to travel from one place to another. 

Just last week, my coworker at MPower Change was pulled aside because of her hijab. TSA asked her to remove it, searched all her bags, and did a full body pat down and search.

And, as is the case for many Muslims, this isn't the first time that TSA has stopped her just for wearing a hijab. 

Let us know if you have a No-Fly story that deserves to be shared, anonymously or otherwise.

Our collective stories will paint a different picture than what U.S. officials tell with the inherent Islamophobia of the No-Fly list. 

We all deserve to fly without fear. 

We know the No-Fly List has egregiously harmed so many people³ — some for many years now.⁴ This is a long-standing problem, which means we have to do something new to try and stop it. The exposed No-Fly list gives us that opportunity.

Everyone should be treated with respect, dignity and free from discrimination while traveling —the government should not limit our mobility and freedom to travel simply because of our name, faith, or ethnicity. 

Our stories can make a difference — and we'll make sure that yours has an impact.

Please take 5 minutes to take our survey now - we want to hear from you!

Thank you so much for everything you do.

In solidarity,

Ishraq, Sinthia, Yasmine and the MPower Change team

P.S. Want to support our work towards justice for all people and against white supremacy and Islamophobia? Sign up here to become a recurring MPower Change donor today. 

 

Sources:

1. "A bored hacktivist browsing an unsecured airline server stumbled upon national security secrets including the FBI's 'no-fly' list. She says what she found reveals a 'perverse outgrowth of the surveillance state,'" Business Insider, January 25, 2023.

2. "The #NoFly list is a #MuslimBan list," Papers, Please, January 20, 2023. "A Trans Hacker Was Able to Access and Leak the No Fly List," Them, January 23, 2023. 

3. "Local Cops Harassed and Threatened US Veteran Because of Terror Watchlist, Lawsuit Says," The Intercept, January 26, 2023.

4. "One American's No-Fly List Nightmare," The Intercept, January 30, 2021.

MPower Change is a grassroots movement of diverse Muslim communities working together to build social, spiritual, racial, and economic justice for all people. Support our work.

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