Yes — and it's one of the most alarming realities of the modern era.

Global anti-terror laws have been used to silence African and Indigenous voices?

After 9/11, the global “War on Terror” introduced sweeping laws and surveillance systems. While meant to fight extremism, these laws have often been weaponized to target:

• African liberation groups

• Indigenous land defenders

• Muslim activists and communities

• Voices speaking out against state violence and colonial legacies

Examples include:

• Ethiopia, Cameroon, Egypt, and other African governments have used anti-terror laws to jail journalists, protesters, and opposition leaders — labeling dissent as “terrorism.”

• In Canada and the U.S., Indigenous water protectors and land activists have been monitored, arrested, and blacklisted under anti-terror frameworks.

• Palestinian and African diaspora charities have been shut down or surveilled based on vague “terror financing” claims — often without trial or transparency.

• In Nigeria, the 2020 #EndSARS protests against police brutality saw peaceful demonstrators branded as threats to national security.

 These laws often bypass civil rights, enabling mass surveillance, indefinite detention, and military force against communities simply fighting for dignity, land, and justice.

Quote for Thought

“When the law defines resistance as terrorism, justice becomes a threat to power.”
— Silenced but Not Defeated