Norwegian Anders Behring Breivik (L), the man accused of a killing spree and bomb attack in Norway, sits in the rear of a vehicle as he is transported in a police convoy as he is leaving the courthouse in Oslo in this July 25, 2011 file photo. – Reuters Photo

The United States has recently put pressure on Pakistan for its selective treatment of militants, but the recent attacks in Norway by a Christian fundamentalist highlight the failure of Western governments to holistically deal with domestic extremism.

In the US, the post 9/11 paradigm has limited the government’s attention in the war on extremism to strictly Islamic targets, while allowing white supremacist groups to grow in power. Not only does this abject focus on Islamic extremism damage American security, but it violates the central tenants of the US constitution protecting the equality of citizens. Thus, in allowing such discriminatory state action to continue, more power is being placed in the hands of extremist groups as ignorance becomes widespread.

Senator Peter King of the US epitomises the lack of nuanced understanding required to truly battle the growing threats to US domestic security. Last year Senator King launched a hearing in Congress on the growth of extremism exclusively in American Muslim communities. Several petitions were sent by Amnesty International, as well as Muslim organisations, asking why only one religious group was being targeted in the hearings.

The exclusive focus on Islamic extremism has not only engendered greater distrust from the public against Muslims, but also violates the 1^st and 14^th Amendment of the US constitution. The 1^st Amendment guarantees that all citizens may freely practice their religion, while the 14^th Amendment prohibits discrimination based on gender, race, or religion. Senator King may have held a hearing to discuss all forms of extremism threatening the American security without scrutinising one religious group over others. However, his present hearing amounts to a violation of the Equal Protection clause in the 14^th Amendment. Also, the focused scrutiny on the Muslim community violates the freedom of religion guaranteed to all citizens in the 1^st Amendment.

One should quickly realise that if it were the objective of Islamic extremists to transform Western nations into societies where constitutional principles of equality were disregarded, then the hearings by King are an example of how they have succeeded.  While there might not be legal standing to sue Senator King, one should pause to reflect on how rapidly American society has changed since the attacks of 9/11. Rights that were believed to be inalienable have vanished, and discrimination is now accepted as a modus operandi in the war on terror. Thus, if the objective of al Qaeda was to bring the US to its own level of discrimination and intolerance, then all the work of Department of Defence is failing miserably.

The discriminatory focus by the US government on Islamic targets is harmful to US security if one looks to the ThinkProgress.org report that noted there have been twice as many domestic terror plots by non-Muslim extremists than Muslim extremists since 9/11. The Justice Department even ran a report in 2009 called “Right Wing Extremism” that examined the rise of white supremacist and Christian fundamentalist groups in the US. Daryl Johnson, author of the report, stated that when he left the Justice Department, four out of the six non-Islamic extremism experts had been removed, leaving two experts.

One of these non-Islamic extremist groups calls themselves Hutaree, and they advocate for a Christian war against infidels including the US federal government. When a raid was conducted last year by the FBI, Hutaree was found to possess more explosives and military grade weaponry than any other Islamic terrorist group ever found in the US. And yet, the government continues its abject focus on Islamic extremism.

Last year, in a city on the west coast of the United States, a white supremacist planned to set off a bomb on a group of people marching to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and the Civil Rights movement. As reported in BBC, when the city sheriff was asked if he ever thought such violent plots could come to his city, the sheriff responded, “We live in a different world now - hate seems to be a widespread phenomenon.”

While this is a true statement, the manner in which we respond to such hate defines our own future. Norway’s President stated the terrorist act against his people would not destroy the years of progress made in fostering a tolerant democratic society. The US should take note that its own violation of constitutional equality only fuels the fire of ignorance while allowing the nation to succumb to the wishes of its enemies.  And while the US judges Pakistan’s selective attack on extremists within its borders, American lawmakers have been subject to the same selective vision of “the enemy.” Governments across the world must develop a similar strategy of focusing on all forms of extremism as a means to protect its citizens.

The writer holds a Juris Doctorate in the US and is a researcher on comparative law and international law issues.