By Juan Cole / Informed Comment

1. If you appoint yourself to carry out surveillance of a mosque congregation who have never given any evidence of being violent, you might be a white terrorist.

2. If you don’t know the difference between gentle Sufi mysticism and violent extremism, you might be a white terrorist.

3. If you plot to burn down a mosque, you might be a white terrorist.

4. If you also plot to burn a school and a cafeteria, you might be a white terrorist.

5. If you plot to put together a militia to attack the mosque, you might be a white terrorist.

6. If you make phone calls to potential militia members discussing using assault rifles on Muslims at the mosque who put up resistance, you might be a white terrorist.

7. If the County Commissioner of your county posted an image on Facebook showing a cowboy pointing his rifle at the viewer with a caption, “How to wink at a Muslim,” you might be a white terrorist.

8. If, despite organizing a terrorist attack and recruiting accomplices from other states, you still aren’t charged with terrorism– you might be a white terrorist.

Robert Doggart has been found guilty on four counts of plotting to commit arson and violate civil rights. But he was not charged with terrorism.

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