In one of the clearest cases of declared genocidal intent in modern history, the President of the United States threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” on April 7, 2026. Although Trump has since then “indefinitely extended” the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, the horrific slaughter of thousands in Iran and Lebanon persists, intensifying the normalization of genocide and ethnic cleansing across the SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) region.
“The authoritarian impulse of this administration to name an entire population as disposable is not only about violence; it is a political project.”
Operation Epic Fury reflects the drive within Short for Make America Great Again, the slogan of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Learn more , especially in President Trump’s second term, towards overt A form of top-down political system that concentrates state power in the hands of a single leader and/or group of close allies. Learn more and aggressive displays of militarism to reassert a vision of America First dominance on the world stage. Trump is not the first President to take the U.S. into war, but openly signaling genocidal intent while bypassing Congress and international allies reflects an authoritarian escalation that demands a serious response from anti-authoritarian and social justice movements in the U.S.
The authoritarian impulse of this administration to name an entire population as disposable is not only about violence; it is a political project. Normalizing dehumanization, and the creation of an insider vs. outsider group is key to authoritarian and fascist rule. Once mass violence is framed as necessary or righteous, dissent can be portrayed as treason, sympathy for the enemy, or obstruction, increasing the likelihood of mass political Repression occurs when public or private institutions—such as law enforcement agencies or vigilante groups—use arrest, physical coercion, or violence to subjugate a specific group. Learn more against domestic resistance to war. The Trump administration, like other authoritarian systems, has preempted resistance by defining opposition as morally illegitimate before it can mobilize.
President Trump’s total rejection of external constraints as well as internal ones also mirrors other authoritarian regimes. Ignoring allies and international law signals that no external standards apply, positioning the leader as sovereign over both domestic and international law.
“It is strategically and morally imperative to integrate opposition to the war into broader anti-authoritarian and pro-democracy campaigns.”
The radical erosion of democratic norms over the last decade, coupled with a long history of White supremacist attacks on communities domestically and abroad, has paved the way. From the Muslim Ban, to mass disinformation campaigns targeting immigrants and Muslims, ICE abductions of pro-Palestine protestors, and the development of the National Security Presidential Memorandum-7 (NSPM-7), Trump 2.0 is exploiting the broad-based, racialized, dehumanization of Muslim and Arabs on a mass scale. This slide towards authoritarianism was celebrated and enabled by elected officials and segments of society that justify violence by invoking American exceptionalism and the necessity of impenetrable national security.
Trump is losing popular support at home and causing major rifts within the party. Only one in four Americans approve of this war. Forty percent of Americans believe that the war on Iran will make America less safe, and 33 percent believe that the war will make the whole world less safe. Even amongst the most hawkish, rifts are forming: including a high profile resignation; Generically used to describe factions of right-wing politics that are outside of and often critical of traditional conservatism. Learn more political commentators denouncing the war; and even recent MAGA loyalists like Ambassador John Bolton and military contractor Erik Prince expressing their anxieties about U.S. military action in Iran. The longer the war goes on, support will likely continue to erode.
“This war must be understood as inseparable from the authoritarian attacks unfolding at home.”
It is strategically and morally imperative to integrate opposition to the war into broader anti-authoritarian and pro-democracy campaigns.
With no end in sight, the war will forge unique opportunities for social justice movements to gain political ground and build solidarity–but not without risks. This moment calls for concrete action and clear-eyed responsibility.
Mobilize Our Communities
Muslim- and SWANA-led organizations that have been at the forefront of fighting the genocide and war need financial support and participation from across the social justice movement to amplify and join their ongoing campaigns.
Organizations should prepare to engage meaningfully around upcoming votes on the War Powers Resolution and military and supplemental budgets, recognizing these decisions as key sites for public accountability and pressure. Together, these steps offer a grounded path for responding to this moment with seriousness and resolve.
Prepare Our Movement
Prepare for the expansion of counterterrorism legislation and policy based on anti-Muslim narratives to silence dissenters, especially through the priorities emphasized in NSPM-7 and the newly created FBI and IRS Joint Mission Center. Following the verdict in the Prairieland 19 case in Texas against anti-ICE protestors and consistent criminalization of pro-Palestine protestors since October 7, 2023, the U.S. Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security may accuse social justice groups and anti-war protestors of being “Iranian sleeper cells” or “terrorists”.
As social justice groups, activists, and dissidents are under heightened political scrutiny by the administration and law enforcement, it remains vital for justice movements and organizations to practice due diligence by conducting a thorough risk assessment of their strategies. Holding know your rights workshops; developing personal and organizational security protocols and contingency plans; and taking other measures in case of escalated movement repression can help reduce risk and provide some buffer against the legitimate fear resulting from intimidation and forceful violations of Constitutional and human rights.
Counter Mis/Disinformation
Engage in targeted popular education to counter conspiracy theories and mis/disinformation campaigns. Now more than ever, we need to build broad-based, vocal anti-war movements that connect opposition to militarism abroad with an inclusive, redistributive domestic agenda that can win change for communities without relying on Blaming a person or group wrongfully for some problem, especially for other people’s misdeeds. Scapegoating deflects people’s anger and grievances away from the real causes of a social problem onto a target group demonized as malevolent wrongdoers. Learn more , polarization, and fear.
Take Responsibility
Prioritize a serious internal assessment of how policies, narratives, and silences tied to the War on Terror, the genocide in Gaza, and longstanding unchecked anti-Muslim targeting from across the political spectrum has contributed to the conditions we face today, and commit to addressing that history openly.
This war must be understood as inseparable from the authoritarian attacks unfolding at home: the denigration of entire communities, the hardening of “us versus them” politics, and the diversion of public anger away from deepening wealth inequality and toward scapegoating and violence. Whether it’s lobbying, popular education, or legal defense for protestors affected by the war, we must connect the struggle to protect democracy at home with opposition to war and militarism abroad.
