Maha Hilal

Maha Hilal is the founding executive director of the Muslim Counterpublics Lab and author of Innocent Until Proven Muslim: Islamophobia, the War on Terror, and the Muslim Experience Since 9/11. Her writing has appeared in Vox, Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, Business Insider, and Truthout, among other places.

President Donald Trump, alongside deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026.

The Trump Administration Has Perfected the Performance of Legality The Trump Administration Has Perfected the Performance of Legality

This administration understands that pantomiming rule-following allows it to pursue its ultimate objective of justifying whatever intervention it may deem necessary.

Mar 10, 2026 / Maha Hilal

George W. Bush

When Will There Be Justice for the Survivors of Abu Ghraib? When Will There Be Justice for the Survivors of Abu Ghraib?

Twenty years later, the unforgettable images of torture at Abu Ghraib serve as a continuous reminder of the nature of American brutality in the War on Terror that has not ended.

May 7, 2024 / Maha Hilal

George Bush Mission Accomplished Banner

Israel Is Using Bush’s War on Terror Playbook Israel Is Using Bush’s War on Terror Playbook

Israel has given itself license for unfettered state violence under the guise of an unprecedented existential threat. Sound familiar?

Feb 1, 2024 / Maha Hilal

A soldier prepares to launch a drone in Afghanistan.

As Long as We Use Drones, Celebrating “American Values” Is a Farce As Long as We Use Drones, Celebrating “American Values” Is a Farce

After decades of asymmetrical warfare, Americans have lost touch with the humanity of civilians forced to endure the extreme violence of our “mistakes.”

Sep 12, 2023 / Maha Hilal

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