Hillyard's (1993) notion of the 'suspect community' is redeveloped in the United Kingdom where Muslims have now been designated as the new enemy within, justifying the introduction of counterterrorist legislation. In this article, the shift to Muslims as the new suspect community/new terrorist threat is examined, exploring the consequences of these developments for the communities concerned. However, it is concluded that the categorization of Muslims as suspect may be serving to undermine national security rather than enhance it with Muslim communities continuing to endure the spectra of state suspicion. When the Irish were constructed as a suspect community in the United Kingdom, it served to radicalize and alienate, and ultimately prolong the Irish conflict. Tables, references, and appendix