CITIZENS NEWS

INTIMIDATION TACTICS: FBI questions Oklahoma woman who made anti-Israel posts on Facebook

By isabelle // 2024-04-02

An unsettling video being shared online appears to show a trio of FBI agents visiting a woman’s house to question her about political posts she made on Facebook. The confrontation took place at the Stillwater, Oklahoma, home of Rolla Abdeljawad, who said that the FBI agents came with screenshots of posts she had made on the online platform. After telling them she didn’t want to talk to them, she decided to record what was happening and asked them to show her their badges on camera. They refused to do so, saying they had already identified themselves to her when she first answered the door; she said she confirmed with local police afterward that the individuals who came to her home were indeed FBI agents. One of the agents even told her that they visit people often to discuss their Facebook posts. When Abdeljawad asked whether this was still a free country where people can say what they want, one agent replied: “No, we totally do. That's why we're not here to arrest you or anything. We do this every day, all day long. It's just an effort to keep everybody safe and make sure nobody has any ill will." Although she does not know which posts may have raised alarm bells with the FBI, she has been posting about her frustration about the war in Gaza recently, writing things like “Israhelli terrorist filth” and calling Israel “Israhell”. In one post, she had even warned people who are pro-Palestinian and Muslims in America that the government may be monitoring their activities online, writing on March 24: "Don't fall for their games. Our community is being watched & they are just waiting for any reason to round us up. If you're Muslim and/or pro-pal consider all your media accounts, Google searches, mail, messenger, local mosques & political events monitored. #NYC #usa #PoliceState #FreePalestine."

Lawyer advises people not to talk to agents without legal representation present

Abdeljawad ultimately refused to talk with them and said that her lawyer would get in touch with them instead. The video of the incident was posted online by Hassan Shibly, her lawyer, who noted that she was prepared to assert her rights based on her experience volunteering for the Council of American-Islamic Relations. He advised others who find themselves in a similar situation to refuse to speak to the agents without a lawyer present and record their interaction. He said that while Abdeljawad was right not let them in her home, she should not have exited her home to talk to them. A spokesperson for the Oklahoma City FBI office, Kayla McCleery, said in a statement: "Every day, the FBI engages with members of the public in furtherance of our mission, which is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. We can never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity. The FBI is committed to ensuring our activities are conducted with a valid law enforcement or national security purpose, while upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans." Another Oklahoma resident commented that they received a similar visit in 2021 and were also accused of being present at the Capitol on January 6 despite being across the country at their home at the time. As long as Biden is in office, there will probably be a lot more incidents like this one. The administration is known for colluding with social media platforms and singling out those with opinions that go against government narratives for censorship and harassment. Sources for this article include: FoxNews.com Reason.com

police state freedom of speech First Amendment FBI Facebook big government thought police speech police FBI corruption liberty