Islamophobia Has Corroded American Values
An essay reflecting on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding, arguing that Islamophobia has fundamentally altered American values. The author recounts personal experiences of prejudice in her Indiana hometown.
Why it matters
It provides a cultural critique of how national security policies and post-9/11 rhetoric have impacted civil liberties and social cohesion in the United States.
Even in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Muslims weren’t treated like this.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Teresa Kopec / Getty; SDI Productions / Getty. August 18, 2026, 7:31 AM ET Share Save E very July, I take my boys back to my hometown in Indiana so we can watch the Independence Day parade. They run around in American-flag shirts and devour far too many rocket pops as vintage cars, tractors, and an Abraham Lincoln in shorts make their way down Main Street.
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